John Cronin, a bin man who has lived on the Astley-Cooper estate his entire life, is the Old Kent Road ward candidate for Reform UK.
He wants to give “ordinary, hard-working residents a voice” through policies that increase housing provision, eradicate low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and keep the streets clean.
On housing, he notes that the council which is “obsessed with building” isn’t using its powers to fill the thousands of empty homes that already exist.
He says when houses are built, people are given the impression “they’re not for us” because of the extortionate rates at which they are rented.
- READ MORE: – The Race is on! How things currently stand – click below
Southwark elections special 2022: one week to go until voters head to the polls
- READ MORE: – What you need to know – click here
John feels that council policy fails to account for the results of consultations and pledges “to fight to ensure people’s views are respected”.
He’s been dismayed by the LTNs introduced across the borough and predicts Labour will continue to introduce them.
Describing them as “unfair” John vows to eradicate all LTNs which he says “put all the pollution into one area” and make things “even worse”.
He fears if Labour win the election they’ll see the vote as an “endorsement of what they’ve done”.
He would also push to ensure that repairs to council housing’s heating and water systems are done properly and are not “botch jobs”.
READ MORE
- Labour currently runs the council, what does their leader has to say? – Click here
- WATCH: We did a special Gogglebox-style coverage in the in the run-up to the election – click below to view what residents have to say
Southwark Elections 2022: What do the ordinary people of Southwark think?
- The Lib Dems are the only other party with seats on the council, what does their leader have to say? – Click here
- The Greens say they won’t win but wants seats on the council, what they have to say? – Click here
- The Conservatives are hoping to get back seat on the council – how are they planning to do that? – Click here
- Outside the mainstream the two other parties are standing in some areas of Southwark – who are they? – Read below