Bexley voters mull choice between shades of blue
BBCStick with what you know or try a new look? That's what voters in Bexley will be deciding next month.
The Conservatives have been a cut above the rest in this borough for the past 20 years, with Labour in second place.
But now a lighter shade of blue in the form of Reform UK is trying to cut in and have made Bexley their number one London target.
The Tories out on the doorstep in Bexley Village have stayed loyal, and there have been no councillor defections to Reform in this borough, unlike in neighbouring Bromley.
They're hoping that local issues here will stump national ones with the voters.
At Mrs P's Hair, in Bexleyheath, one customer thought the council was doing a good job.
"The rubbish is cleared on time," said Carol Parker. "The streets are usually clean. I think the Tories will get back in. I think the local people are quite happy."
The salon's owner Gemma Pembroke said the area needed "someone with motivation just to help salvage the high street".
She added: "If you look at the empty units that are up there, it's a knock-on effect for future roles in apprenticeships and stuff like that."
Hairdresser Lotti Young, 19, had some advice for the politicians: "To get to the younger generation, I'd probably say more getting on social media."
What happens here in Bexley is going to be a key test for the Conservatives, because this time they've got the added threat of Reform.
It's on the border with Kent where Reform wiped out the Conservative majority last year.
David Leaf, Conservative candidate for Bexley Council, told BBC London: "We've faced brutal cuts from the Labour government, they've cut the funding they give us, so we've been forced to put council tax up.
"But what's important for us is investing in the services that matter to our residents - whether it's supporting the thousands of residents who are elderly who benefit from social care, the hundreds of vulnerable children we protect and keep safe every day, or investing in ensuring our streets are clean."
Under a different banner, Reform leader Nigel Farage's UKIP won three seats in the borough back in 2014.
Now Reform is setting out its stall here.
But it's already raised council tax in neighbouring Kent, despite suggestions it would cut taxes.
What would Reform do in Bexley, given the chance?
Its candidate Miles Jones said: "Reform's ethos in local government is about saving money where we can, about cutting wasteful spending and delivering value for money to locals."
He said if elected to run Bexley council, the party "would have to have a real audit of the council finances before I could give you any commitments about this or that".
Fixing potholes is another election issue here, as is the debate over protecting the greenbelt from development.
In Crayford, where local people elected a Labour MP at general election, the party is hoping that voters will give them a chance this time.
Stefano Borella, a Labour candidate for Bexley, said: "We've got 50,000 renters in Bexley - they need extra security of tenure and the Labour government has done that with the renters' rights - but also we need to have more licencing schemes to protect those renters, because there are more people renting.
"We need to build more affordable housing, we need to build more council housing, we need to invest in our roads and pavements."
There are other political styles on offer in Bexley.
The Liberal Democrats say voters are being turned off by anger and division, while the Greens say they're the only party taking the cost of living crisis seriously.
We'll find out who sweeps up here on 7 May.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
