Andrew Pelling
Standing up for Croydon East
Andrew's consistent guiding campaign slogan over the last twenty years has been "Putting Croydon First."
He puts Croydon's interests ahead of party politics. He helped 15,555 residents as Croydon Central's MP.
Andrew sees Croydon's fortunes being best served by Labour being replaced as the progressive choice for the Borough's voters. Andrew also sees that the Conservatives have close to no chance of winning the Croydon East seat and offers a strong experience Liberal Democrat alternative for the Croydon East Parliamentary election.
Andrew was expelled by the Croydon Labour party after being a whistle blower about failed governance at the Labour run Croydon council, his seeking reformed council governance and his talking to the local press. Labour continued to exhibit that troubled governance in the conduct of the selection of a Parliamentary candidate for Croydon East.
Andrew knows Croydon East well having been a councillor in whole or in part of four of the constituency's wards, its London Assembly Member and its Member of Parliament in the great majority (87%) of Croydon East.
Andrew lives just two houses away from the constituency border in Croham Valley Road and a frequent 433 and 64 bus user and has lived on Shirley Hills and on Selsdon Vale.
Andrew's family has lived in the Croydon area since 1749.
Andrew was an 11+ student at Trinity school and studied PPE at New College, Oxford.
Andrew got the BRIT school to Croydon in the face of Labour opposition, introduced comprehensive nursery education, re-organised post 16 education including the modernisation of John Ruskin, persuaded Ken Livingstone to build the Coulsdon by-pass and chaired what became an outperforming Croydon council pension fund that doubled in size to over £1.7 Billion, making £864.7 Million for the Fund or £5,764 per Croydon household while the mismanaged Labour council mislaid £193 million.
Three decades working in the City leaves Andrew well placed to capture the international investment Croydon needs and which the council cannot afford.