Mel Mullings: A Train Driver, Not a Career Politician.

Full statement

'No cuts' socialist candidate

I am explicitly socialist. A community organiser with a proven track record of standing up for Croydon, EVERYTIME! I am a London Underground train driver with 25 years as a militant organiser in the RMT union. I stand unapologetically for Palestine, Congo and anywhere there's oppression. I am anti-racist, anti fascist, anti war and intersectional activist. I am not standing as a local councillor to "manage" our decline or "lobby" Westminster for crumbs. I am standing to lead a working-class takeover of our local economy.

Thornton Heath is being bled dry. While our libraries close and fly-tipping piles up on Brigstock Road, Croydon Council is funnelling £86 million a year in interest payments to City of London bankers. That is an "Interest Tax" on the poor. I am the only candidate with a plan to stop this theft.

My Radical Pledges:

Financial Sovereignty, Not Begging: I will not wait for a "fair deal" from the government. I will fight to establish a Public Credit Facility to refinance our debt at 0–1% interest. We stop paying the bankers and start paying for our parks, roads, and youth services.

Housing is a Right, Not a Market: The current system "licenses" bad landlords; I want to replace them. We will treat housing as a public utility like water. No more "mega-developers" building luxury flats on Bensham Grove while 8,000 families wait for homes. We build for need, at cost, for the many.

Seize the High Street: Stagnant sites like Ambassador House are monuments to failed capitalism. I will use the council’s powers to take back empty shops and turn them into Common Wealth Zones giving local entrepreneurs free or at-cost space, energy, and internet.

Reparations as Labour Rights: As a Black woman with an invisible disability, I know that "equality" is a hollow word without Restorative Justice. For me, reparations isn't just history; it’s also the modern struggle to return power, land, and resources to the communities they were stolen from.

The "No Cuts" Guarantee: I am the "No Cuts" candidate because I refuse to accept the lie that there is no money. There is plenty of money; it’s just in the wrong pockets.

I live here in Thornton Heath, my children grow and go to school here, I have my community here, I love Croydon, I have and will always defend it.

I’m not here to be polite. I’m here to build Autonomous Prosperity for Thornton Heath. Vote for me, I won't let you down.