Here’s an entertaining video if you have a spare hour this bank holiday.
George Galloway MP addressing pupils at a local school
George Galloway’s Respect Party is not – as they undertook to do so 18 months ago – fielding any candidates in Croydon’s local elections next month. The absence of candidates from minor parties may be seen by some as evidence of how the state-funding of the borough duopoly between the Conservatives and Labour parties manages to exclude alternative political views.
In Croydon, the borough’s 70 councillors between them receive £1.4 million a year in “allowances” out of our Council Tax, of which a hefty whack is used to subsidise those parties’ activities. Other political parties are excluded from such public funds, creating an obvious disadvantage.
“Three cheeks of the same arse,” is the way that Galloway is fond of describing the Tories, Labour and LibDems within Britain’s political Establishment.
In the absence of Respect candidates, Galloway endorsed Labour for the forthcoming local elections, and dropped a heavy hint that he intends to stand for Mayor of London in 2016. Hear what else he had to say when visiting the politics society of a Sutton school earlier this month…
We will be posting another politics society session from Wallington County Grammar School, and one of especial local interest to Croydon voters, tomorrow.
Recent Inside Croydon election coverage:
- Telegraph poll suggest UKIP poised to win Town Hall seats
- Tea-time leaflet leaves Easter egg over faces of Waddon Tories
- A Viscount, two Lords and a comedian back Labour’s campaign
- Tories pick ‘Osland of the Yard’ to stand in Thornton Heath
- Newman struggles to get Labour singing from the same songsheet
- What Barwell fails to tell you and the myths of Council Tax
- Council allowances and local politicians’ secret consensus
- Tory ward chairman quits to stand for UKIP in Ashburton
- Snap! Croydon Tories use same leaflet graphics as council
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Coming to Croydon
- Private Peaceful, Charles Cryer Theatre, Apr 23-26
- Alison, A Rock Opera, Spread Eagle Theatre, Apr 23-26
- Groundwork River Wandle project workshop, Apr 23
- David Lean Cinema: Short Term 12, Apr 24
- Groundwork River Wandle project workshop, Apr 24
- Stop The Incinerator Beer and Bingo fund-raiser, Apr 28
- Future of Crystal Palace debate, Apr 30
- Groundwork River Wandle project workshop, Apr 30
- David Lean Cinema: The Railway Man, May 1
- Groundwork River Wandle project workshop, May 1
- Hauntology – the architecture of Croydon, Apr 5-May 2
- David Lean Cinema: Wadja, May 8
- Coulsdon Euro election hustings, May 8
- David Lean Cinema: Blue Velvet, May 10
- Norwood Society Talk: West Norwood – a place of change, May 15
- David Lean Cinema: The Invisible Woman, May 15
- Coulsdon West local election hustings, May 16
- Croydon RFC charity memorial day, May 17
- Coulsdon East local election hustings, May 20 (tbc)
- David Lean Cinema: The Rocket, May 22
- David Lean Cinema: Dallas Buyers Club, May 29
- Norwood Society Talk: The Concrete Church, June 19
- Crystal Palace Overground Festival, June 26-29
- Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
- Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
- Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20
Inside Croydon: Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough: 72,342 average monthly page views (Jan-Mar 2014)
If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
