Peter Underwood
Your Green Party candidate for Mayor of Croydon
We are delighted to announce that Peter Underwood has been selected as the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Croydon. Peter would make a fantastic Mayor, sort out the problems at Croydon Council and put a smile back on people’s faces.
Croydon has suffered for too long under the old two-party system and we all deserve better. It’s time for change. It’s time for a fresh Green start. It’s time to elect Peter Underwood as Mayor of Croydon.
You can help our campaign by donating here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/peter-underwood-mayor-of-croydon
Peter’s key aims as Mayor
1) Give power back to people
The Green Party is committed to democracy. That doesn’t mean just pretending to listen to people at election time, it means really listening to people all of the time. And, most importantly, then acting on what people say.
People are telling us that they are fed up with being ignored. Whether that is bad planning decisions, pointless consultation exercises, or having one party rule over the Council just for the benefit of their own supporters.
Peter wants this to end. He will bring in citizens assemblies and genuine consultations at the start of decision processes so people have a real say in what happens. He will insist on a more transparent system at the Council so people can see what progress is being made and if something can’t be done people can see the full explanation why. Peter will also offer to work across political parties so that everyone in Croydon knows their representatives can be involved in running the Council.
Peter said:
“I was against changing to a directly elected Mayor because I think it’s wrong to give all that power to just one person. That's why I am standing to be your Mayor so I can put that power back in your hands.
I also want to end the political bickering that has done no one any good. If people are willing to put their differences aside and work for the good of everyone in Croydon then I will gladly work with them as part of my team.”
2) Get Croydon Council Working for You
After ten years of funding cuts from central government and financial mismanagement on the council, Croydon is in a dreadful state. Vital services are being cut or stopped altogether, and we are all suffering. Instead of tackling the problems we just get given endless excuses. There have been failures by officials employed at the Council and failures by politicians of both parties who just nodded along instead of doing their job.
We still don’t know all the details of how bad Council finances are because of the culture of secrecy and people trying to hide their failings. But Peter’s academic background and years working in the public, private, and charity sectors mean he has the skills and experience to begin the mammoth task of getting Croydon back on track.
Peter said:
“For too long it has felt like Croydon Council only works for the benefit of overpaid executives and incompetent politicians. It's time it worked for you.
We know that Croydon has been left with no money and I'm not going to promise you miracles. But I can promise you I will review the way the council works from the bottom right to the top to make sure everyone is focused on doing the best they can for you.”
3) Make Croydon happier
Politics shouldn't just be about budgets and regulations. It should be about making your life better.
We want people to enjoy living in Croydon. We want places for children to play and well maintained parks. We want clean streets and public spaces. We want people to feel safe, whether they are enjoying a night out in town or just walking to school or work. We want people to feel they have the chance to express themselves, whether that is through their job, the arts, or just enjoying the vibrant cultural diversity of shows and events in Croydon. We want people to feel actively involved in how their area is run; generating new ideas and improving their area.
Peter said:
“My reason for being active in politics has always been to make people’s lives better.
We all know it will take time to clear up the mess we've been left with in Croydon and I’m not going to claim I will sort everything out straight away. But I spend all of my time as Mayor trying to make things better.
My number one aim as your new Mayor is to make Croydon happier.”
About Peter
Peter has lived in Croydon for twenty years and is a respected and trusted member of our community. He has challenged the establishment parties as a Green Party candidate at previous elections, standing up for people and planet. He has also worked with local campaigns on a range of issues such as tackling racism, banning toxic weed killers from our parks, and supporting the campaign for justice for the residents of Regina Road. During the recent pandemic Peter was also one of the many Croydon volunteers delivering medicines and food to residents who were isolating.
Peter was born in the midlands of England. After leaving home at 17 he spent a period being homeless and then in temporary accommodation while he completed his A Levels and gained a place to study at Oxford University. Peter completed his degree in Philosophy and Psychology and then moved to London where he joined the civil service. Peter worked in a wide variety of roles including front line delivery in a benefit office, policy development work, corporate management, and working with Government Ministers in Parliament. During his civil service career Peter also completed a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
Ten years ago Peter left the civil service so that he could campaign for changes from outside Government. Peter currently works for The Conservation Volunteers, a national charity that supports people in looking after our parks, woodlands, and green spaces. He is also a conservation week guide with the rewilding charity Trees for Life in the Highlands of Scotland. Just prior to Brexit, Peter also spent a couple of months working with the Green Party group of MEPs in the European Parliament.
