Four years ago, Croydon was in serious trouble.
Under Labour, the council had been bankrupted three times. Debt was rising by more than £15,000 every hour. Residents were paying the price for reckless borrowing, failed property deals and years of denial about the true state of the borough’s finances.
That was the situation I inherited as Mayor.
Today, Croydon is turning the corner. The 2026 Budget shows clear evidence of progress and why it is vital that we stay the course.
The council has confirmed it will meet its 2025-26 savings target and reduce its request for Government support by £34 million next year. Since 2020–21, £229 million of savings have already been delivered, with a further £48 million this year and £34 million planned for 2026-27.
This progress has not happened by chance. It is the result of facing up to hard truths, taking difficult decisions and restoring discipline to Croydon’s finances.
That is why my Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Jason Cummings, has written to all political parties in Croydon ahead of the Budget vote. If you oppose the Budget, residents deserve to know what you would do differently in practice. Serious decisions require serious alternatives.
The Budget also sets out plans to deliver around £30 million of savings each year through to 2029 through the Future Croydon transformation programme. This means cutting waste, reducing bureaucracy, modernising services and making sure every pound of public money works harder for residents.
At the same time, we are getting Croydon moving again.
More than £1.2 billion of inward investment has been secured. Pride is being restored to our town centres and neighbourhoods. A zero-tolerance approach to crime and antisocial behaviour is helping to make streets cleaner, safer and more welcoming.
But we must be clear with residents. This progress remains fragile.
Croydon still carries £1.4 billion of historic debt. Debt costs alone will total £86 million this year. Reversing course now would put the borough’s recovery at risk.
The choice facing Croydon is not about slogans or protest votes. It is about responsible leadership and steady progress versus returning to the instability that caused so much damage in the first place.
The Budget will be scrutinised on 10 February, considered by Cabinet on 11 February, and voted on at Budget Council at the end of the month. That vote matters.
Croydon has come too far to gamble again.
The direction is right.
The plan is working.
And we must keep going.
