CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the row over Rowenna Davis’s censored manifesto rumbles on, former Labour councillor JERRY FITZPATRICK, pictured right, explains how international affairs can very properly be matters of local importance
In no particular order, I want the Mayor of Croydon to fix the budget, improve services, sort out the town centre, restore the Fairfield Halls to its former glory and much more. I’m not holding my breath, however.
Does it follow from that local political leaders should be silent on national and international issues which are outside their direct control?
That is what Croydon South’s Conservative MP Chris Philp thinks.
He told the Jewish Chronicle: “This is a local election and when I speak to residents across Croydon, they are concerned about improving high streets and roads, local planning issues and fighting crime.”
Philp was taking exception to the view of Labour’s mayoral candidate, Rowenna Davis, that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide against Palestinians, and that she objected to the Council’s pension fund being “used to support arms companies that are supplying Israel at this time”.
Tory stooges have taken up Philp’s weasel words and are dutifully repeating them on social media.
Philp himself has been remarkably reticent about criticising Israel’s war criminality. He ignores the fact that the situation in the Middle East increasingly concerns Conservatives as well as those on the political left.
And he is quite wrong to seek to gag local politicians who comment on international issues.
‘We don’t expect sense from Philp’: Croydon South’s Tory MP will, it seems, say anything for a political advantage
On the contrary, local leaders should speak out on any issues which touch the lives of those in their community.
And international issues do increasingly touch our lives. Such was the case for my parents’ generation in the 1930s. Silence in the face of world crisis and potential war is not a sensible option. But then, we don’t expect sense from Philp.
Local politicians such as Davis are more likely to deal effectively with local issues if they possess the vision and understanding to give leadership on issues outside their direct control.
Israeli war crimes directly touch a local issue. Davis identified this clearly when she objected to the council’s pension fund being “used to support arms companies that are supplying Israel at this time”.
She added that she respected “the pension fund’s first duty is to protect the pensions of former workers and I believe this is compatible with ethical investment policies”.
New plan: Labour’s Rowenna Davis’s election pledges have caused some controversy, even in her own party
And she added: “I will campaign for all London boroughs to divest from arms companies operating in Palestine through the London Central Investment Vehicle’s new responsibility matrix”.
I supported divestment from companies profiteering in apartheid South Africa and I support Davis’s divestment initiative today.
I am a Labour member, so naturally Davis gets my vote. And I am casting it for an outstanding candidate.
The scale of the mess our town is in is huge.
A Labour Mayor who has the courage to speak truth to a Labour government and Labour Mayor of London is our best hope of accessing the support and resources which our home town so desperately needs.
- Jerry Fitzpatrick is a retired barrister and a former Labour councillor in Addiscombe West
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All very true, but Rowenna Davis has been banned by Labour from speaking out on these issues in her manifesto, and would no doubt be prevented by Labour HQ from taking any action.
Change is in the air. There are many voices such as Rowenna’s and they will prevail in the Labour Party much much sooner than later.
For the life of me what has this got to do with a Council that is bankrupt with it’s centre blighted and declining year after year. I am sure Mr Fitzpatrick wants you to believe there are only two parties in this election. The two parties who have caused this bankruptcy and blight. Don’t listen to this intellectual bankruptcy. Do not reward these abject failures.
The outgoing mayor (less than 3 weeks to go !) has so little vision that he should be given a white stick as a leaving present.
“Outgoing” is not an adjective that sits easily with Jason Perry.
“Witless”. “Dim”. Or “out-of-his-depth” seem better suited.
The key question on this issue is not whether local politicians should espouse on national or international affairs. It is who is actually running Rowenna Davis’ campaign and who would actually call the shots if she was elected Mayor.
For the record I have no problem in calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide and have done so for a long while. In fact, I sat on a panel at Purley mosque back in November 2023 where neither Chris Philp, nor Sarah Jones could bring themselves to condemn Israel’s actions.
What I do have a problem with is not only that Rowenna was overruled by unidentified actors within the Labour Party on this issue, but also what else she might be overruled on as Mayor if she is not even in charge of her own manifesto.
Who would we be electing with Labour? We don’t really know. If decisions are being made by unnamed individuals in Labour’s national or regional HQ, how can we trust that this won’t happen if Rowenna is elected?
As the Mandelson affair has acutely brought to light, there are powerful forces behind the scenes in the Labour Party pursuing their own interests. This was a huge problem under the previous Labour administration in Croydon.
Jerry Fitzpatrick voted his full confidence in Tony Newman back when he was a Councillor – even after the bankruptcy. This either means that Jerry Fitzpatrick has terrible judgment and should be ignored until he apologises for his part in Croydon’s downfall, or it proves the point that no Labour figure can or will stand up to what their national party wants.
vote him vote them vote her who do you really trust these parties have shafted us for to long lets vote for tom,dick,harry party:
reduced energy bills,no tv licence,council tax for pensioners free,parking fee’s reduced in Croydon, free rent /rates for small business start ups for 6 months,food allowance for pensioners,get homeless in to empty buildings and more community hubs for teenagers out of work and encourage more help for each other in the community,and bring back more police on our streets.