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Our Mayor needs to possess vision and global understanding

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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.

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