Introducing Sylbourne Sydial — your Conservative candidate for Mayor of Lewisham
Lewisham residents have been clear about what’s gone wrong. Fly-tipping on our street corners. Crime on our doorsteps. Our high streets neglected. GP appointments harder to get. Many residents say they “don’t feel heard” or “don’t feel safe walking at night” after more than 50 years of a Labour-dominated council that has let crime, rubbish, congestion and neglected high streets pile up.
Sylbourne Sydial is running for mayor to change that.
He brings three decades of community leadership in Lewisham: from launching Politics and You to engage young people in local democracy, to hosting the Sylbourne Sydial Show to highlight local success stories, to running daily Walk & Talk Motivational Moments to keep people connected during the pandemic.
Sylbourne came to the UK from Jamaica in 1992, raised his family here, serves on the board of his church, and has deep roots across Lewisham.
His pitch is simple: Lewisham needs a mayor who listens, shows up, and delivers.
A plan built for you
In door-to-door conversations and across the ward survey, residents of Lewisham have consistently raised the same issues:
• Crime and antisocial behaviour: repeated reports of phone thefts, burglaries, harassment, car crime
• Fly-tipping and neglected streets: one of the top three issues across responses, echoed in every pocket of SE12
• Struggling local businesses: residents want high streets they can be proud of, and business owners need a place where they feel supported
• Ignored by the Labour council: residents often describe consultations as “a sham” and feel their concerns “go nowhere”
• Roadworks, congestion and potholes: from Summerfield Street to Harland Road to Grove Park station
Sylbourne’s priorities speak directly to those concerns.
1. Safer, cleaner streets
Sylbourne will push for visible community policing, action on theft and antisocial behaviour, and a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping and neglected streets.
2. Real support for young people
Sylbourne will work to expand youth provision, rebuild trust, and give young people a path into skills, confidence and opportunity.
3. Revitalising local high streets
Sylbourne will champion small businesses, back investment, and push for a cleaner, safer high street environment that attracts better shops and services.
4. A council that works for you
Sylbourne is committed to transparency, accountability, and leadership that treats residents as partners, not an afterthought.
“Lewisham’s strength is our residents. My job is to make sure your voices are heard."
Sylbourne's story is rooted in the community, experienced in bringing people together, and ready to take on the challenges residents talk about every day. He describes his life as “a platform”, unapologetic in values, focused on connecting people, and determined to drive positive change.
Lewisham deserves a fresh start. Sylbourne Sydial is ready to deliver.
