Inside Croydon

As health secretary Wes Streeting considers resigning from government, possibly triggering a leadership challenge, Steve Reed, Sarah Jones and Natasha Irons are backing Starmer

“Uncle” Keir Starmer is clinging on to the job of Prime Minister, probably grateful for the hiatus caused by today’s State Opening of Parliament ceremonials, after three days of dissent and calls for his resignation, even from members of his own cabinet following last week’s disastrous local elections.

Final result (after 28 wards declared):

Lab 30 (-4), Cons 28 (-5), Grn 7 (+5), LibDem 2 (+1), Oth* 1, Ref 2 (+2)

Ellie Sandover, niece of Labour PM Keir Starmer, elected to council for Bensham Manor ward

Mark Adderley, suspended by the Green Party after Labour minister Steve Reed’s complaints, is nevertheless elected to council in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood

Labour shadow cabinet member Chris Clark loses his town centre seat to Greens

LibDems take control of new East Surrey Council

It’s Conservative carnage in Sutton, and Labour losses in Wandsworth and Westminster, while the Tories cling on against Reform in Bexley. Meanwhile, Croydon’s count is just getting under way at the Fairfield Halls

Welcome to Inside Croydon’s unmatched coverage of the 2026 local election count in Croydon, and across south London.

We have reporters at the count at the Fairfield Halls today, for Croydon’s second mayoral election, which will determine our cash-strapped borough’s direction for the next four years, at least.

Simon Ghebremedhin has been sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 19 years, for the murder of 26-year-old Marjama Osman in her own home on Frith Street, just off Surrey Street Market, in May last year.

Ghebremedhin, 34, of Streatham High Road, was found guilty by a unanimous jury decision at the Inner London Crown Court earlier this month.

The police described Ghebremedhin as “a devious killer”, after CCTV showed that after stabbing Osman, he had returned inside her house where he wounded himself, in order to claim self-defence.

‘We just want justice for Rijkaard’ says mother of the victim of brutal gang attack on Surrey Street Market two years ago

It was on this day two years ago that Rijkaard Siafa was the target of a vicious knife and machete attack on Fellmongers Yard, off Surrey Street Market, where he was left to die by his attackers.

With Croydon’s Town Hall elections to be held one month today, one mayoral candidate has been ordered to censor her election brochure by party bosses, with MP Reed suspected of being behind move.

EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES

Labour’s candidate for Croydon Mayor, Rowenna Davis, has been ordered by party bosses to remove reference to Israel’s genocide in Gaza from her election manifesto.

The instruction followed a complaint made by one of Labour’s own council election candidates, thought to have been done with the backing of cabinet minister Steve Reed.

PETER GILLMAN sings the praises of local choirs

Streatham Choral does not lack ambition. The 150-strong amateur community choir, which rehearses every Monday at St Leonard’s Church, has hired one of London’s prime concert venues for its next concert.

The choir is to perform Hadyn’s 1798 masterpiece The Creation on April 11 at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, close to Sloane Square. The hall, the home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, can seat more than 900 people.

C O M M U N I T Y

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Streatham Choral returns to Cadogan Hall with a vibrant performance of Joseph Haydn’s The Creation, one of the most joyful and imaginative works in the choral repertoire.

Inspired by Handel’s London performances, this radiant oratorio brings to life the wonder of the natural world through dazzling choruses, lyrical solos and richly coloured orchestration.

Simon Ghebremedhin has been found guilty of the murder of Marjama Osman, who he stabbed in her home on Frith Road in May last year.

Ghebremedhin, 33, of Streatham High Road, was found guilty by a jury at Inner London Crown Court. The police described him as “a devious killer”.

Police and emergency services were called to Frith Road, off Church Street in Croydon town centre, just after 9am on Saturday, May 31 last year, following reports of a stabbing.

BARRATT HOLMES reports on the Croydon Labour councillors who enjoyed a networking night out with the housing minister

Steve Reed OBE, the MP for Streatham (and Croydon North if he can ever be bothered), who has previously exhibited an appetite for generous hospitality at football matches, all paid for by the water industry (he was Labour’s lead on environmental matters at the time), has been enjoying curry dinners alongside housing and development lobbyists who happily paid £2,400 per seat.