After six years as council leader and a dozen years as councillor, Steve Reed said he will miss Lambeth but is ready to move on.

Coun Reed is hoping to win the Croydon North byelection and follow in the footsteps of the popular MP Malcolm Wicks, who died in September.

Yesterday he announced that he is standing down as leader of the Lambeth Labour group to campaign and his day-to-day duties as council leader will be fulfilled by his deputy Councillor Jackie Meldrum.

If elected to the safe Labour seat, Coun Reed will resign both as council leader and councillor leaving his role at Lambeth behind him.

Out on the campaign trail in rainy Croydon yesterday Coun Reed told the Streatham Guardian: "Of course I will miss Lambeth because it’s a place I care about very much, but now I want to do my best for the people of Croydon North."

"It is a huge honour to be chosen by Labour members to stand for election. I’m out fighting for every vote."

Coun Reed said if elected as MP he would draw on his experience leading Lambeth and minimising the impact of ‘outrageously unfair’ cuts imposed by the Government.

He said: "We have done our best to protect people. If you look back at the council in 2006, it was a failing council and now it’s a pretty good council."

Coun Reed said key achievements during his six years leading the council include freezing council tax for four years in a row, opening a new Clapham library, bringing in new leisure centres and the Nine Elms regeneration project.

He said: "The borough is visibly better as a result of the last six years with Labour in control."

But Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group spokesman Councillor Jeremy Clyne advised people in Croydon North to look very carefully at the truth behind his ‘inflated claims’.

Coun Clyne said: "Coun Reed has blatantly used Lambeth Council to make a name for himself, touring the country as the leader of the first so-called Cooperative Council.

"Now he's decided to jump ship with Lambeth floundering under the weight of this unworkable and increasingly troubled project."

Coun Reed hit back saying the Lim Dems were just feasting on ‘sour grapes and hard cheese’.

He said: "I’m the longest serving leader of Lambeth council in the council’s history.

"The Liberal Democrats are typically saying one thing while doing the opposite."

He pointed out that Liberal Democrat councillor and former council leader Peter Truesdale stood for other posts while in power.

Coun Clyne questioned Coun Reed's statement that Croydon is his local shopping centre and he feels part of that community.

He said: "Strange thing for the leader of Lambeth Council to say when he lives in Streatham and represents Brixton - might explain a lot."

Coun Reed responded by reiterating that Croydon is his nearest shopping centre and that is where he goes.

He added: "I wonder where they go?" Coun Reed narrowly beat Val Shawcross to be selected as the Labour candidate for the constituency on Saturday.

Of his former rival Coun Reed said: "It was lovely of her to come out campaigning.

"She’s a very good friend."

Councillor John Whelan, Lambeth Conservative Group leader in Lambeth, said: "The Leader of the Council is playing a critical role in numerous partnerships that support development in Lambeth notably at Nine Elms with Wandsworth Council.

"The sooner he sorts out whether he is staying or going the better."