Mario Creatura

"This is a Brexit election" according to the Conservative candidate for Croydon Central, Mario Creatura.

The area was split 50-50 in the referendum.

"People really get this. The reason we are where we are is because of this indecision by parliament being blocked and bunged up by politicians arguing amongst themselves," he toldVanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London.

Mr Creatura supports the prime minster's Brexit deal, despite voting to remain in the EU referendum, "because I'm a democrat," he said.

"Croydon can be best served by if we can get rid of that deadlock" in parliament, he said.

Labour's majority in the seat is just over 5,000.

To help him win the constituency Mr Creatura, a Croydon councillor, is referring to MP Gavin Barwell's book 'How to Win a Marginal Seat' - which he called a "bible for all campaigners".

"The historic nature of the seat is that it's always been tight."

But the Conservatives "can absolutely win", he said.

Getty Images

Troubled UK lender Metro Bank has lost another member of its top management team.

Chief executive Craig Donaldson is leaving after a tough year in which the firm became embroiled in an accounting scandal and had 90% wiped off its stock market value.

Metro said in October that founder and chairman Vernon Hill was leaving the company two months earlier than expected.

The bank is under investigation by UK authorities after saying it had under-reported its exposure to higher-risk loans by almost £1bn.