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Divide and rule council’s lollipop cuts affect north hardest

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Lollipop ladiesParents and pupils at the following schools need to approach their lollipop lady, or “school crossing patrol officer”, on Monday, shake them by the hand and thank them.

In the latest sign that the Conservatives who are in charge of Croydon Council simply don’t care about the needs or views of residents, they have served redundancy notices this week to 10 school crossing officers at these schools (there are two at Woodside).

This in the very week when a lollipop lady in Wales put her own life on the line to try to save some children on their way to school who were at risk from an out-of-control car.

Croydon’s local papers, predictably, focused on the redundancy notice handed to June Rixson within days of her receiving the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. This is something of a red herring: Rixson is 80 years old and was about to retire from her duties in any case. Her BEM is the epitome of a long-service medal.

The real issue is how the Tory council regards so lightly the safety of school pupils  – and especially those in wards that don’t usually vote Conservative. Seven of those crossing patrols being axed are in Labour wards, which are often areas of the busiest road traffic.

Notably, no cabinet member responsible for this decision had the courage of their convictions to speak to the local media this week. Instead, some poor sap from the Taberner House press office was put up to comment on the redundancies.

This nameless functionary said, “We didn’t take this decision lightly and it was only after thorough examination of the results of the risk assessments that we finally reached our conclusions.” No mention of the geographical distribution of these cuts to children’s safety being predominantly in non-Conservative wards.

Cynical? Callous? Calculating?

After all, this is the same Croydon Council that has taken your money in Council Tax and is spending

£140 million

on new council offices for themselves and council staff

£3 million

on furnishing those offices with desks and comfy chairs

£67,354

on “allowances” to the Pollard household, Tory councillors Helen and Tim, who is also the cabinet member for children, families and learning

and

£53,223

on “allowances” to the Tory group leader, Mike Fisher

So what is the savings that Croydon’s Tory-run council is seeking to make from making the school crossing patrol officers redundant?

According to the council’s own figures, it is no more than…

£60,000

Cynical, and callous, and calculating Croydon Council.


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