Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Carserides has taken a new job as a lobbyist in Croydon, raising eyebrows over potential conflicts due to his access to insider influence and local power networks.
As Carserides concludes his brief tenure as an elected councillor while continuing to get allowances from the financially constrained council, it is appropriate for the people living in his district, South Norwood, to inquire about the former close adviser to Environment Secretary Steve Reed.
Carserides did not show up for the most recent full council meeting last month, despite the council being in crisis and the government bringing in commissioners. Residents of South Norwood also mention that the erstwhile Croydon Labour rising star hasn’t been seen much in a long time.
Carserides’ once-promising political career will end next May after just five years as a local councillor, according to a report published last month by Inside Croydon. This is because he has not applied to be a Labour candidate in the 2026 local elections.
Only a few months after his longtime boss, Reed, was given a front-bench position in government during last year’s General Election, Carserides had already resigned from his day job as a special advisor (SPAD) in the Department for the Environment, Farming, and Rural Affairs.
Carserides has remained a councillor in Croydon, although he is now a back-bencher with no further perks beyond the standard £11,984.04. His days of receiving tens of thousands of pounds in additional public funds while acting as Labour’s chief whip and Town Hall “enforcer,” monitoring their operations from Reed’s Westminster offices, are long gone.
Carserides’s departure from DEFRA was never explained to the public.
He was one of several council members who violated the Town Hall Code of Conduct by neglecting to immediately update their register of interests, according to an Inside Croydon investigation earlier this year. Section 30 of the Localism Act of 2011 mandates that such declarations be made.
Compared to the council’s own full-time, six-figure Monitoring Officer and his staff, this website has proven to be a more effective way to keep an eye on the outside interests of Croydon’s council members. As iC submitted its questions to the council and councillors regarding this important issue, Carserides’ public declaration was updated as if by magic.
January was that month. Carserides then changed his declaration to reflect his unemployment.
He was a director of Cromwell Green Ltd. by that time, according to Companies House documents. The firm was registered that same month at a residential address on Wharncliffe Gardens, SE25.
“Red Rose Associates is an innovative public affairs consultancy focused on helping businesses and other organisations engage with and influence the new Labour government.”
They are selling “influence”.
“Our experts combine extensive consultancy capability with hands-on practical experience working for Labour in various capacities over the last 30 years. This gives us unique insight into the policies and personalities of the next Labour government, helping you stay one step ahead.”
Nudge, nudge… wink, wink.
Carserides’ own online CV suggests this is an exaggeration. Ten years ago, in 2015, his first jobs out of uni were as a business consultant and marketing exec. Perhaps Red Rose’s claim of “communications experience” means that he spoke to people?
“He is a former Labour DEFRA Special Adviser to the current government and was a political adviser in Shadow Justice when Labour was in opposition.”
Both of those jobs were working for his MP, Reed.
“Louis was also an election agent for a Member of Parliament.”
That’s Reed again.
The need to make sure local council members appropriately follow the laws meant to promote adequate public scrutiny, transparency, and honesty is growing at a time when the public is becoming increasingly concerned about the effect that unelected, unaccountable, shady characters have on lawmakers.
What does Carserides’s new lobbying role suggest about Croydon’s political influence?
Carserides’s new lobbying role suggests that Croydon’s political influence may increasingly operate through insider access and leveraging established connections within the local government.
As a former Labour councillor and aide to MP Steve Reed, Carserides carries direct knowledge of Croydon’s political landscape and possesses contacts that are valuable for influencing council decisions from outside formal office.
This “inside influence” role reflects a common pattern where former elected officials transition into lobbying or advocacy roles, potentially offering clients privileged access to decision-makers.