Paul Ainscough, once a Labour parliamentary election candidate and a former councillor for the party, has been selected to stand for the Green Party at next year’s council elections in Fairfield ward. He says he “feels let down by Labour”.
New slate: the announcement of the three candidates for Fairfield ward in 2026
Fairfield ward is where the Greens won their first ever seats on Croydon Council in 2022, with Ria Patel and Esther Sutton, and the councillors will be on the ballot paper alongside Ainscough in May next year.
Ainscough’s move to the Green Party is another sign of the growing disaffection among grassroots members with Labour, as it increases taxes on the working poor, takes benefits from the vulnerable and disabled, yet does not increase tax for the wealthiest.
The quandary for Labour in Croydon is even greater because of the massive reputational damage done by former council leader Tony Newman and his cronies in bankrupting the borough, followed by scandals over selection rigging and data protection law breaches.
Ainscough was a Labour Party council candidate in Croydon in 2018.
In the past, he was a Labour parliamentary candidate for Wyre and a Labour councillor In Bury, Greater Manchester, where he served as deputy chair of housing and chair of the education committee.
Ainscough has been an occasional guest on Inside Croydon’s news podcast, the Croydon Insider.
Today he said: “I joined the Green Party because I want to develop and promote policies for a fair and sustainable society. Many people, including myself, feel let down by Labour. It’s a party that is going in completely the wrong direction under Starmer and Reeves.
“Here in Croydon, Labour has done nothing to oppose the Conservatives’ Council Tax hikes and even worked with the Conservatives to give themselves a pay rise.
“Croydon deserves better. The Green Party isn’t just fighting for a sustainable environment. It is fighting rent hikes, soaring bills and cuts to public services. That’s why I have given my support.”
The Green Party is in the process of selecting its candidate to run for executive Mayor of Croydon in 2026. In 2022, Peter Underwood ran for Mayor, polling 6.5% of votes cast and placing fifth in an election won by Jason Perry.
Read more: They voted to raise your Council Tax, then to increase their pay
Read more: Labour admits serious breach of private data in Croydon East
Read more: #TheLabourFiles: MP Reed, Evans and the Croydon connection
Read more: After 40 years as a one-team player, this year I voted Green
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