In my first column as Labour Leader of Crawley Borough Council, I would like to sincerely thank all residents for the results which have allowed me to be in this position.

It is a huge advantage both to the borough and to the running of the council that Labour once again has a clear majority on the council.  Not only were the recent elections a devastating verdict on this appalling Tory Government, Johnson and Partygate but it was also recognition – once again – that local people rightly have of the standard of this Labour run council over many years.

We have continued to uphold the sheer scale of vision for the borough that dates back to the very early days of the New Town pioneers.

My term as leader of the council begins at an exciting but crucial time, this year we are set to move into a brand new, modern town hall with a regenerated town centre and leisure facilities across the borough such as K2, Tilgate Park and the Hawth that would be the envy of places much larger than us.

We are also at a time where society is adjusting back to some kind of normality from lockdown and Covid.  People want to reconnect.  I see a key part of the council’s role going forward in helping people to do that safely and build an even stronger community.

But I also recognise Crawley is still recovering from being one of the worst hit areas to its economy and industry by Covid – and at a time we may be facing the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, I’m far from complacent.

We need more council homes for local families to live in, we need to maintain a beautiful environment with sustainable technology that does not harm it, we want development that is in keeping with the new town we all came to live in.

I will use this column to keep people updated on what we do, I hope you’ll join me on that journey.

Cllr Michael Jones,

Leader Crawley Borough council