Eddy Arram is to be Croydon’s Mayor in 2012

Eddy Arram, councillor for Ashburton and a “caseworker” for Gavin Barwell MP, is to be the Mayor of Croydon in 2012, according to sources in the Town Hall.

Arram, a long-serving member of Croydon’s ruling Conservative group but not one of Our Brave Leader Mike Fisher’s front bench “team”, will assume the largely ceremonial role next spring, taking over from Graham Bass.

“He’s very likeable,” another Town Hall backbencher told Inside Croydon, “and he follows his party script very well, though you’re never quite certain how much of it he really believes in.”

Croydon Conservatives are somewhat vague in their biog of the next Mayor of Croydon. They say, “Eddy has represented Ashburton Ward for a number of years…” [“for a number of years”? That suggests that they don’t know how long, and can’t be bothered to find out] “…and is passionate about the ward having lived in it for most of his married life.

“He has worked hard to conserve the ward’s village like qualities, especially in the Lower Addiscombe Road shopping district, fighting back land development and preserving its parks.

“Eddy works closely with all the resident and tenant associations in the ward, valuing their contribution and assisting them in their aims. Eddy’s day job is a facilities manager.

“He currently holds the following council appointments: Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Culture and Sport, a member of the Standards Committee and is a Croydon appointee to the Upper Norwood Joint Library Authority where he alternates as chairman and vice chairman with a Lambeth Councillor.” That is, when he is allowed to turn up for meetings and he is not helping Croydon to sabotage a perfectly workable, cross-borough library scheme…

The Croydon Conservatives’ profile continues: “In addition Eddy is the Chairman of the Addiscombe Boys and Girls Club and a Governor at Shirley High School. Over the years Eddy has held a number of senior Council positions. He was for 8 years Chairman of the Library, Museum and Arts Committee and oversaw the building of the £30 million Central Library and Clock Tower complex.” Well, he must be immensely proud of that achievement, now that so many of the Clock Tower facilities have been closed by his fellow Barwell assistant, Sara “Book Token” Bashford.

“He also served on the Housing Social Services and Planning Sub Committees. Eddy has represented Croydon and regional and national level and was appointed by the Secretary of State to serve on the Libraries and Information Commission which promoted and developed IT in the libraries whilst keeping their core values. Eddy is married with two sons, is a granddad and has two cats and a dog. His pastimes are (besides his grandchildren and when he gets a moment or two) going to the theatre and concerts, visiting gardens and watching football.”

Croydon Conservatives omit to mention that Arram and his wife Judith also do much fine work at Shirley Synagogue.

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