Lewisham's Conservatives have chosen their candidate for the coming mayoral elections and now the race is starting to pick up speed. ANDY LAITHWAITE spoke to the latest contender

A FORMER Lewisham councillor who campaigned side by side with former prime minister John Major on the streets of Brixton will run for Lewisham mayor.

Derek Stone, 63, of Polsted Road in Catford, has been chosen by members of Lewisham's three Conservative Associations as the party's candidate for directly-elected mayor, on May 2.

The former conservative chief whip, who has five children and two step-children, was a councillor in Crofton Park ward between 1878 and 1986.

Mr Stone, whose wife Sandra is a carer, said: "It's a great honour to be selected as candidate, I have been a Conservative since I was 15 when I used to go out on the streets of Brixton with John Major. We would talk about politics in general. It was quite colourful.

"I'm a south Londoner through and through, I understand the people, how they think and what they want.

Leader of Lewisham Conservatives Councillor Barrie Andersen, who chose not to stand himself due to time commitments, said: "A directly-elected mayor for Lewisham is in the best interests of the community.

He added: "I'm delighted the conservative party has selected a mayoral candidate with political experience, energy and time enough in order to do the job well and I will support him all I can."

Mr Stone recently stood in the Bellingham ward by-election won by the Labour party's Steve Bullock originally chosen by Labour members as mayoral candidate.

But the Labour ballot has to be rerun after rules were breached in its December ballot. About 200 Lewisham Labour Party members, either in arrears or whose membership had expired and were therefore not entiteled to vote, took part in the ballot.

Party members will have to decide between Cllr Bullock and current mayor Cllr Dave Sullivan.

For the first time, borough residents will choose their own mayor, rather than the old system where he or she was chosen by councillors from the majority party.

The American-style system means the mayor, who will serve in office for four years, has the power to choose and dismiss councillors for his cabinet, and can decide whether decisions are taken personally or by the executive.

l Other contenders announced so far are Green Party's Sinna Mani, former Labour mayor of Lewisham, and independent candidate Richard Merry, who is Lewisham Shopping Centre manager.

alaithwaite@london.newsquest.co.uk