It’s been a busy month in Croydon West, with lots happening across the borough. I’ve been out meeting residents, local organisations, police and businesses, listening to concerns and getting things done. 

Keeping Croydon safe remains a top priority. I organised a town‑centre walkabout with local police and partners and I’m arranging more walkabouts across wards in Croydon West. I’ve raised the safety issues you’ve shared with me, backed new technology to catch offenders faster, and welcomed further progress in cutting violent crime across London. 

I also welcomed the Prime Minister to Croydon, using the visit to push for the improvements our borough needs. Alongside this, I’m continuing to take action on accessibility and housing issues, from tackling Blue Badge misuse to raising residents’ housing concerns directly with housing providers to get problems solved. 

You can read more below about what I’ve been working on. As always, if you need help or want to raise an issue, please get in touch at [email protected]. 

Knife Crime Is Falling 

The latest figures show that knife crime is coming down. 

Offences involving knives or sharp instruments have fallen by 9%, and knife‑enabled robbery is down 12%. Since the start of this Parliament, knife‑enabled offences are down 8% overall. 

The most serious violence is falling too. Knife‑enabled homicides are down 27%, and overall homicides are now at their lowest level since 1977. 

There is still more to do, but these figures show that the strong action this Government is taking to reduce knife crime is working.  

Police Reform White Paper – The Biggest Policing Reforms in 200 Years 

This week, I set out the most significant reforms to policing this country has seen in 200 years. 

After 14 years of Conservative cuts that hollowed out local policing, with 20,000 officers lost and too many stuck behind desks, this Government is rebuilding policing. In just six months, there are nearly 2,400 more neighbourhood officers back on our streets, and police funding has increased by £2 billion. 

Neighbourhood policing is being restored. Clear national targets will make sure 999 calls are answered faster and officers reach serious incidents more quickly. Every neighbourhood will have named, contactable neighbourhood officers so communities know who their local police are and how to reach them. 

A new National Police Service will be created to deal with the most serious and complex crime, including terrorism, organised crime and fraud. This will take pressure off local forces and allow them to focus on everyday crime like shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and phone theft. 

Standards across policing will be raised. A new Licence to Practice will make sure every officer has the right skills throughout their career, alongside stronger vetting and tougher action where forces or senior leaders are failing. 

Investment in modern technology and digital forensics will help reduce backlogs, speed up investigations and support victims. 

These reforms will strengthen neighbourhood policing across the country, including here in Croydon, while national policing focuses on keeping us all safe. 

Find out more about the reforms here.  

Tackling Crime in Croydon Town Centre

Crime is a number one issue for residents in Croydon West.  

Under Labour live facial recognition cameras have resulted in a 12 per cent fall in retail and violent crime as well as sexual offences in the local area.  

This month London recorded its lowest homicide rate since records began. 

Of course, there’s still more to do. I organised a town centre patrol with Detective Chief Superintendent and local police, as well as councillors and local charity Change, Grow, Live. We visited crime hotspots and discussed what the police are doing to tackle challenges. 

Labour’s approach to crime is working in Croydon, but we won’t stop pushing for better. 

Giving Leaseholders in Croydon West More Rights 

Labour is strengthening the rights of leaseholders in Croydon West. Many residents have spoken to me about their concerns, and I’m delighted this Government is taking action. 

We will make leasehold fairer by: 

• Capping ground rent at £250 a year 

• Reducing ground rent to zero over time 

• Giving the right to move to commonhold 

• Giving more control over your building and bills 

• Ensuring no one can lose their home over small debts 

This will make a huge difference to leaseholders and will ease the cost of living for people across Croydon West. 

Blue Badges Campaign Win! 

Waddon residents raised concerns with me that non-disabled people were parking in disabled bays. I took this up with Purley Cross and Croydon Council immediately.  

Purley Cross Retail Park has now introduced enforcement, so cars without valid Blue Badges will be ticketed. Croydon Council has also begun a wider crackdown, with misused badges confiscated, vehicles seized and further prosecutions on the way. 

This is a positive step forward, and I’ll keep pushing to protect the spaces Blue Badge users rely on. 

Using New Technology to Catch Offenders 

Police in Croydon are catching criminals every 34 minutes when live facial recognition cameras are in operation.  

Since this Labour government introduced the pilot scheme in October, 100 arrests have been made. A third have been for offences of violence against women and girls, including strangulation and sexual assault.  

Compared to van deployments, analysis shows the cameras have halved the average length of time that it takes to arrest offenders after they are circulated as wanted. 

Lowering NHS Waiting Times 

The November NHS figures are out, and the waiting list has fallen by 86,000 people. 

This is the second‑largest drop in NHS waiting lists in 15 years, achieved despite record demand in 2025, a difficult winter, and disruption from strikes. 

There are other encouraging signs too: 

• Waiting lists are coming down 

• Ambulances are reaching patients faster 

• Patient satisfaction with access to GPs has risen from 60% to 75% 

• Fewer NHS staff are leaving than at any point in the last decade, outside of the pandemic 

All of this has been delivered through an exceptionally challenging winter. 

This progress is down to the hard work of NHS staff, alongside Labour’s modernisation of the NHS and record investment, which was opposed by both the Conservatives and Reform. 

There is still much more to do, but these figures show we are turning the NHS around and getting it back on its feet. 

Casework Updates  

Since the start of January, I have received around 1500 casework emails. Around 60% of my casework has been related to housing, whilst 14% has related to Home Office enquiries, and the remaining cases covered a range of local government issues. A lot of my casework relates to issues with heating and lifts in apartment blocks, service charge increases, and homelessness across the constituency.    

Here are some examples of the support provided this month: 

• Helped a constituent and her disabled daughter get a social housing offer from Bromley Council, which they were really grateful for. 

• Helped a constituent raise concerns with Croydon Council about overcrowding in their home. The council accepted the issue at the first stage of the complaints process and agreed to reassess the situation and put things right. 

• Stepped in to help a constituent get their passport returned urgently so they could travel abroad to visit their seriously ill father after delays 

• Helped a constituent raise a complaint about a benefits issue. The complaint was upheld and resulted in a £150 compensation payment. 

• Intervened in a delayed homelessness application with Wandsworth Council, securing short‑term support to prevent the constituent from becoming homeless. 

• Supported a family who were struggling to get updates on their Croydon Council housing application by raising the issue and having the case reassigned to a new housing officer, helping speed things up. 

Welcoming the Prime Minister to Croydon 

Delighted to welcome the PM to Croydon this month to talk to IKEA staff about Labour’s landmark Employment Rights Act – which includes improved maternity and paternity pay.  

Labour has been working hard to drive improvement in Croydon, from investment in our schools and health services, to an enormous uplift in funding for local government. 

There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I’m proud of the progress we’re making. I look forward to continuing conversations with the Prime Minister about what more can be done to tackle ongoing challenges and improve our borough. 

Strengthening SEND Support across Croydon 

 Parents and teachers across Croydon will welcome this month’s announcement on plans to create tens of thousands of specialist places and train all teachers on SEND.  

This is the most ambitious teacher training package in our country’s history. Labour is taking SEND reform seriously. 

Reducing Violent Crime Across London 

London has recorded its lowest homicide rate since records began. Labour’s approach to tackling violent crime is working. 

Proud to Support Stanley Arts 

Stanley Arts is putting Croydon on the map – I met their CEO to learn more. 

From art, theatre and dance (and a great café open daily), it’s an important hub for creativity in our community.  

Check out their upcoming events and support this fantastic local space:
https://stanleyarts.org/events/category/family/ 

Backing Digital Literacy in South Norwood

I had a brilliant visit to Harris Academy South Norwood for a #BeInternetCitizens session with The Parents Zone and YouTube. A really creative workshop helping young people spot mis- and disinformation online. Thanks to everyone involved for having me! 

Supporting Primark in Croydon 

How many transactions are there in Croydon’s Primark each week? 27,000! That’s a lot of shopping. And for every £10 spent there, £3.60 goes to other local shops. 

I asked them to clear the moss from the outside walls to make it look nicer, and they fixed the problem immediately. 

Thank you to the Primark team! 

New steps to protect children online 

Cannot tell you how delighted I am by the announcement on creating a safer digital world for our children. My three teenagers are less delighted.

This month we’ve announced plans to: 

• Toughen up guidance so schools become phone-free by default – with Ofsted carrying out checks during inspections  

• Consult on phone curfews and potential ban for children under a certain age  

• Start a national conversation with parents on the impact of tech on kids’ wellbeing 

Pushing for Improvements at Gary Court 

I recently secured an on‑site visit with senior management from Hyde Housing at Gary Court after residents raised concerns with me. I’m pleased that progress is now being made, including action on security, parking issues being taken up with the council, and a commitment from Hyde to improve communication with residents. 

I’ll keep pushing to make sure these improvements are delivered. 

If you live in Gary Court or anywhere in Croydon and are experiencing housing problems, please get in touch with me at [email protected] — I’m here to help. 

Reforming Policing to Keep Communities Safe 

The police reform white paper will set a new path, so our police are equipped to do the job we need them to do – bringing criminals to justice, protecting our communities and preventing crime. 

A New Road Safety Strategy to Save Lives 

Labour is setting out the first road safety strategy in over a decade – an ambitious plan to save thousands of lives and reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 65% by 2035, and 70% for under 16s.  

Key announcements: 

• Tackling drink and drug driving. A consultation on lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, unchanged since 1967 and currently highest in Europe; exploring preventative technology like alcohol interlock devices; and new powers to suspend licences for suspected offenders. 

• Crackdown on illegal vehicles. New measures to tackle illegal and ‘ghost’ number plates, uninsured drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT. 

• Protecting vulnerable road users. Reforms to motorcycle training, testing and licensing, trials to improve rural motorcycle safety, and action to address stark inequalities affecting children and deprived communities. 

• 18 new vehicle safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance. Together, we can build a safer future for all road users.