Peter Fortune MP's latest column in the News Shopper.
In May 2022, only 37 per cent of Bromley residents went to the polls to elect our borough councillors. With the next borough council election just days away, the importance of getting out and voting has never been greater.
Council elections are often dismissed as unimportant, but that could not be further from the truth. The stakes here in Bromley are genuinely high. Residents face a real choice about who will best represent their interests - and the case for continuity and experience is a strong one.
The Government’s changes to council funding are leaving Bromley in a perilous financial position. By 2028/29, the borough faces over £30 million per year in real-term funding reductions. Local representatives have been pushing back hard on these decisions at every opportunity, pointing out that if Bromley received average London core grant funding in 2026/27, it would gain around £112 million extra. Bromley needs councillors with the experience and determination to continue that fight.
Despite these pressures, the current council has kept council tax as low as possible. Lower than neighbouring Kent, run by Reform, lower than Lewisham, run by Labour, and lower than Sutton run by the Lib Dems. This has been achieved by maintaining the lowest net expenditure per head in London, while still delivering efficient services for residents. That record did not happen by accident; it is the product of years of careful, disciplined financial stewardship.
One issue that residents raise consistently is the protection of our green belt. Bromley is at the forefront of the battle to preserve its green spaces. While overall housing targets for London have been reduced, Bromley’s have increased creating the deeply unfair situation where thousands of homes are being directed onto farmers’ fields with limited transport links, while well-connected urban sites elsewhere remain untouched.
Local representatives at every level, me in Parliament, Tom Turrell at the London Assembly, and the Bromley Conservatives on the council - have been fighting for development that is appropriate, proportionate, and genuinely serves the community. That work requires a strong, co-ordinated local team, like we have now, to be effective.
These elections matter enormously. Bromley deserves a council that will stand up for its residents on funding, protect our green spaces, keep council tax low, and maintain the high quality of life that makes this borough such a great place to live, work and raise a family. The track record of the Bromley Conservatives speaks for itself, and on polling day, residents should think carefully about who has delivered for Bromley, and who is best placed to continue doing so.
