Key Points

• Croydon’s mayoral election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, with polling open from 07:00 to 22:00 BST.
• Croydon Council will be elected on the same day.
• There are eight candidates standing for mayor.
• The candidates are Rowenna Davis for Labour, Ben Flook for Reform UK, Ben Goldstone for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Richard Michael Howard for the Liberal Democrats, Jose Joseph as an Independent, Jason Perry for the Conservatives, Michael Pusey for Taking The Initiative Party, and Peter Underwood for the Green Party.
• Jason Perry won the first directly elected mayoral contest in Croydon in 2022.
• The 2022 contest was close, with the Conservatives beating Labour by 589 votes.
• In October 2021, Croydon voters backed a move to a directly elected mayoral system in a referendum, with 80.4% voting for change.

Croydon (Extra London News) April 16, 2026 – Croydon is preparing for a mayoral election on Thursday 7 May 2026, when voters will choose the borough’s next directly elected mayor and also select councillors for Croydon Council. The contest comes four years after the borough switched to a mayoral model, following a referendum in which residents voted by a large margin to replace the former leader-and-cabinet system.

When is the Croydon mayoral election?

The election for mayor of Croydon will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026, with polling stations open from 07:00 until 22:00 BST. Croydon Council will be elected at the same time, meaning voters will receive decisions on both the executive leadership of the borough and their local representation in one trip to the polls. That timing is part of the standard local election cycle in England, where local offices are often decided on the same day.

As reported by Croydon Council, the mayoral poll is set for the same day as the council elections, which means the result will shape both political leadership and council make-up at once. The council has already published the list of candidates standing for mayor, confirming a full field of eight contenders. The result will therefore determine not only who leads the borough, but also the political direction of the council chamber.

Who is standing for mayor?

There are eight candidates in the race, representing a broad spread of parties and one independent. The candidates are Rowenna Davis for Labour, Ben Flook for Reform UK, Ben Goldstone for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Richard Michael Howard for the Liberal Democrats, Jose Joseph as an Independent, Jason Perry for the Conservatives, Michael Pusey for Taking The Initiative Party, and Peter Underwood for the Green Party.

The line-up gives voters a wide choice across the main political parties and smaller local or national groups. Jason Perry is seeking to defend the position he won in 2022, while Labour is again contesting the office through Rowenna Davis. The presence of a Green candidate, a Liberal Democrat candidate, a Reform UK candidate, a TUSC candidate, and an Independent also suggests a crowded ballot with several possible vote-splitting dynamics.

What happened in 2022?

Croydon elected its first directly elected mayor in 2022, and Jason Perry of the Conservatives won the contest after a close race. The result was decided by 589 votes, with the Conservatives narrowly defeating Labour in a borough-wide contest that drew strong attention because it established the new system of governance.

As reported by Croydon Council, Jason Perry was declared Croydon’s first executive mayor after winning the highest number of votes. BBC election results for Croydon show Perry finishing ahead of Labour’s Val Shawcross in the final round, with 38,612 votes to 38,023, a margin that underlines how competitive the result was. The council said turnout reached 97,457 in that election.

Why was the system changed?

Croydon’s move to a directly elected mayor followed a referendum held in October 2021. Residents were asked whether they wanted to replace the leader-and-cabinet model with a directly elected mayor, and the public voted in favour of the change by a large majority.

Croydon Council said 47,165 people backed the directly elected mayor model, compared with 11,519 for the leader-and-cabinet model, with turnout recorded at 58,897, or 21%. The council also said the existing system would remain in place until the May 2022 elections, after which voters would choose a mayor to lead the borough. The referendum result gave democratic backing to a structural change in how Croydon is governed.

What does the mayor do?

A directly elected mayor leads the council’s executive function and is chosen separately from local councillors. That means the mayoral vote is not simply symbolic; it affects who sets priorities, represents the borough publicly, and influences how local services are directed. In Croydon’s case, the office was created after residents voted to change how the council should be run.

The office therefore carries a different kind of authority from that of an ordinary councillor. The mayor is expected to act as the borough’s political leader, while councillors continue to represent wards and take part in wider council decisions. That division of responsibilities is one reason the mayoral election attracts a different level of attention from a standard local council contest.

How close is the contest expected to be?

The 2022 result showed that Croydon’s mayoral race can be decided by a narrow margin, and the 2026 contest is likely to be watched closely for signs of whether the balance of support has shifted. Jason Perry’s previous victory by 589 votes suggests that small changes in turnout or candidate appeal could be decisive again.

The presence of eight candidates may also affect the shape of the result, because votes can spread across several parties and an independent. In a borough where the first mayoral election was tightly fought, campaign organisation and local issues are likely to matter heavily. The eventual winner will need support across the borough rather than in one area alone.

Who is Jason Perry?

Jason Perry is the current mayor and the Conservative candidate in the 2026 election. Croydon Council says he was elected as the first executive Mayor of Croydon on 5 May 2022, and that he has represented his community on Croydon Council since 1994. The council also says he was brought up on a council estate in Hamsey Green and educated in Croydon schools before graduating from the University of London with honours in history.

According to Croydon Council, Perry served as a councillor for Coulsdon East Ward before later representing Croham, and then South Croydon after boundary changes. His standing in the contest will likely be shaped by how voters judge his record in office over the past four years. As the incumbent, he enters the race with name recognition but also with responsibility for the council’s direction since the last election.

What is the significance of this election?

This election matters because it will decide who leads a borough that has only recently adopted the mayoral model. Croydon’s 2021 referendum showed a clear public choice for the new system, and the 2022 election gave the office its first mayor. The 2026 vote now tests how residents feel about that arrangement after one full term.

It also matters because the mayor and council are being chosen together. That means the election could shape both executive leadership and the political composition of the council, which may affect how closely the mayor can work with councillors. For voters, the result will help determine the borough’s direction on local priorities for the next term.

Background of the development

Croydon’s present mayoral system began with a referendum in 2021, when residents voted overwhelmingly to move away from the leader-and-cabinet model. Croydon Council said 80.4% of voters supported the switch to a directly elected mayor, creating the framework that led to the first mayoral election in 2022.

The 2022 contest was therefore not just a routine local race, but the first test of a new governance model. Jason Perry’s victory made him the borough’s first executive mayor, and his subsequent term has provided the context for the 2026 poll. The current election is the second time Croydon residents will choose a mayor under this system.

Prediction for voters

For voters in Croydon, the result is likely to affect how the borough is run, how decisions are prioritised, and how visible local leadership is over the next council term. Because the previous mayoral race was close, turnout could again be important, and a small shift in support may decide the outcome. The election may also influence how smoothly the mayor works with the newly elected council, which in turn could shape local services and political stability across the borough.