'I’m here for the people, not for politics' | Michael Pusey on Croydon local election mayoral bid
Known across London’s community, sports and entertainment scenes, the mayoral candidate speaks to Black Current News about his vision for the borough
As Croydon heads to the polls in today’s local elections, mayoral candidate Michael Pusey, also known as DJ CK Flash, has set out his vision for the borough, positioning himself as a grassroots alternative to mainstream party politics.
“I know what’s happening on the ground because I’ve lived it for decades,” he told Black Current News.
“I’m here for the people, not for politics.”
Standing under the Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP), founded by entrepreneur Charles Gordon, Mr Pusey is running on a platform centred on financial accountability, youth safety and rebuilding trust in local government.
The 52-year-old is one of eight candidates vying for mayor and the only Black man in the race.
He argues that residents have lost confidence in how Croydon is run, particularly after years of well-documented financial instability.
Among his key pledges is greater transparency over council spending, including publicly accessible reporting on where money is going, alongside a review of internal processes to cut inefficiency and bureaucracy.
Mr Pusey has also placed strong emphasis on tackling youth violence, combining what he describes as “zero tolerance” enforcement with long-term prevention through mentoring, skills development and community-led interventions.
Knife crime and serious youth violence remain a central concern in Croydon.
The borough recorded the highest number of “violence with injury” offences in London in the year to June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics, although Metropolitan Police figures suggest knife crime has fallen by around 24% since 2023.
Mr Pusey said the issue is consistently raised by residents on the campaign trail, adding that his approach would combine enforcement with prevention.
His approach draws heavily on his background outside traditional politics.
Known to many from his work in broadcasting and music, Mr Pusey, a former presenter on Choice FM, has supported the careers of artists including Dizzee Rascal and Ms Dynamite.
He is also the brother of pioneering broadcaster and producer Commander B. He says his leadership style has been shaped by years of engaging directly with communities and delivering projects on the ground.
This includes helping to develop a £1.2 million BMX facility in Peckham, which went on to produce Olympic-level athletes, as well as wider work supporting young people through sport and community programmes.
Mr Pusey is widely known for founding the Peckham BMX Club in Burgess Park in 2004, a grassroots initiative that has since grown into one of the UK’s leading BMX programmes.
Community work
Alongside community work, he has built businesses across the property, creative and youth sectors.
His work with young people has also been recognised through a number of community and industry awards.
“I didn’t come from privilege,” Mr Pusey said.
“I worked on market stalls as a young man and, through hard work and discipline, built one of the most successful sports clubs in the UK. It wasn’t handed to me.”
The mayoral candidate is also critical of what he sees as a disconnect between mainstream politics and everyday life in the borough, arguing that too many decisions are made without meaningful input from residents.
“Only by reconnecting politics with the grassroots can we build the safer, stronger and more prosperous Croydon that residents deserve,” he said.
When asked about scepticism from those who question his lack of a so-called “traditional” political background, Mr Pusey said: “I’m not a career politician and I’ve never pretended to be.
"But let me be very clear, leading Croydon isn’t about playing political games; it’s about delivering real results for the people who live here.
“Judge me on my track record, not on how long I’ve been in politics.”
His campaign places particular emphasis on supporting young people, Black communities and local businesses, with proposals ranging from expanded youth hubs and mentoring schemes to improving access to contracts and opportunities for underrepresented groups.
What’s happening with ‘Westfield Croydon’?!
He also wants to revitalise Croydon’s town centre, pointing to empty buildings and stalled development as signs of missed opportunity.
For years, residents have been promised large-scale regeneration, including a £1 billion Westfield development of a new shopping centre and housing, originally due to be delivered by 2017, but little has materialised.
“For too long, residents have been promised a vibrant, modern Croydon on the scale of the new Westfield developments, yet it still hasn’t happened,” Mr Pusey said.
“I want to make Croydon a destination that people from across London choose to visit, shop and spend time in, rather than somewhere they pass through.”
Mr Pusey launched his campaign in April at Stormzy’s Merky Football Club in South Norwood, and has attracted backing from several high-profile figures, including former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, entrepreneur Levi Roots, Bishop John Francis of Ruach City Church and Nation of Islam European regional leader Abdul-Hakeem Muhammad.
The race for Croydon Council has become increasingly competitive, with Labour, the Conservatives, the Green Party and Reform all contesting the election.
Mr Pusey’s candidacy reflects a broader trend of independent and community-led campaigns seeking to challenge established parties at local level, particularly at a time where trust in traditional politics has been eroded.
He is also standing as a councillor in South Norwood ward alongside his mayoral campaign.
Voters across Croydon will decide the outcome as polls close later today (7 May).
Planning to vote today? You can find your local polling station here.
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