JASON PERRY. Mayor of Croydon
Elected in May 2022 with a margin of fewer than 600 votes.
Is paid £82,000 per year by the council. His office answers the phone just 20 hours per week.
Stood on a election promise to ‘fix the finances’.
He then sought permission from Tory government to inflict 15% Council Tax increase on residents of Croydon in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 40 years.
The council budget passed last night, with the ‘Perry Premium’ 15% Council Tax hike, includes another £36m of cuts to services.
You will be paying more, much more, for less.
And it is not a ‘balanced’ budget: it needs a £540m write-off of council debts, which has not yet been agreed by government.
Remember those names when you open your Council Tax bill in the next couple of weeks.
And remember those names and their political party the next time you have the opportunity to fill in an election ballot.
Read more: ‘Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay’ to start if 15% tax hike goes through
Read more: Only three councillors were as good as their word and stood up for the people against Tory Mayor Perry’s 15% Council Tax hike
Read more: And here are the Labour councillors who broke their word over the 15% tax hike and abandoned the people of Croydon
Read more: Perry says there’s no alternative to his budget. But there’s lots
Read more: The solution to Perry’s finance problem: Fund Croydon Fairly
SIGN THE PETITIONS HERE
- Inside Croydon – as seen on TV! – has been delivering local community news since 2010. 3million page views per year in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
- If you want real journalism, actually based in the borough, you should consider paying for it. Please sign up today. Click here for more details
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SIXTH successive year in 2022 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
For starters Perry should drop that byline on his profile and newsletters “listening to Croydon” because he isn’t.
But Lord Perry of Croham Hurst has such a fine ring to it, dontcha think? He’s a one-term Mayor. He knows it.
But last night, Croydon Labour made themselves even more unelectable – which takes some doing after the shitshow that Newman, Butler and Scott, with a load of help from David Evans and Steve Reed, inflicted on this borough.
Well, it is good to add that Labour did not opose it, just pretending they care for residents where they care more about themselves and their political careers, they never come with alternative budget proposal, they guilty here in 100% in same way as Tories
We’re coming to that.
Completely agree. The comment during the meeting that they will “make sure this is known at the ballot box” by a Labour Councillor just shows how little they care for residents, but only themselves. An absolute shambles all round.
I would like them to knock on my door at election, it would be shameful and disgusting to ask for our vote at the general election 🤮🤮
For the sake of balance, post portraits of the inveterate invertebrates in Croydon Labour who, when it came to the crunch, did nothing to stop this huge increase
Patience, Arfur. We don’t just throw this shit together you know.
Sorry Mr Downes, sir
Oh dear…. Who said subservience was dead?
THE WHOLE BUNCH OF ALL MPS ARE OUT FOR THEMSELVES
They are not MPs, Angela.
Please learn how to use your caps lock.
Croydon elected blue and not red, they were offered an independent with gravitas, experience and, independence! It was blatantly obvious what would happen, the Tories can’t sort the country out nationally, couldn’t sort Croydon out when in charge at the Town Hall previously; what on earth did we think had changed?
A lacklustre Mayoral election has delivered broken promises and a lacklustre administration – mere puppets for a CEO who doesn’t live and doesn’t care for this borough.
Croydon, we must remember this shitshow next time we visit the ballot box.
Councillors are elected to represent the borough and secure its future, they are mere custodians. Their actions last night will be remembered.
Definitely will remember but first I will cancel my DD for council tax and setup standing order for last year bill plus 5%
Hopefully at the next election , all those councilors who voted three times for the Council Tax hike will be voted out . Who are the councilors representing ?The local Councilor , I note who voted for the Hike did not have my consent to do so. I was not even asked .
But – there was no alternative budget provided. (the Andrew Pelling budget was just a list of half-baked measures with was a wing, a prayer and roll of the dice). Whilst no one likes the 15% increase in Croydon Council Tax, refusing the budget would have resulted in Croydon relinquishing all democratic control of the borough.
Now, there are lots of voices above saying that both parties are to blame and equally rubbish. But nothing would be as bad as central government inserting their own managers. The first thing centra government are likely to do is impose a 15% increase in Council Tax.
Geoff, where have you been the past two years? Croydon relinquished all democratic control the day that Kerswell was parachuted in and reinforced with the report-shy improvement panel.
And Kerswell has morphed into being a big part of the problem
Folks lets wipe them smug condescending smirks off their faces at the ballot boxes…..
Perry and Cummings & the rest of you are on borrowed time……
Hopefully the voters of Croydon will look beyond the rosette and vote for someone that they could trust to run say a bath. It will be an improvement to the lot we have at the moment.
We need to formulate an action plan to get rid of these councillors .
As far as l am aware there has not been any criminal investigation into fraudulent activities which have been going on in Croydon over the years..
The people of Croydon need to come together to ensure we have true representation and not nepotism , action speaks louder than words.
By just complaining you are just part of the problem myself included.
One thing is for certain: Perry and the Conservatives in Croydon are finished.
And labour not??? I waiting for them to knock my door or put leaflets through letterbox before next election, they are guilty on same level as Tories
I so agree with people . We have been let down so badly . If we did what they did with bad investments we would be called out for it . And now we are expected to pick up the tab for it . I have no faith in any of them . We are treated like modern day peasants . Wait until they want our votes . And let’s not forget Michael Gove who gave permission for the hike . And no referendum as there should have been . And all happening when we are in a cost of living crisis . So unfair on Croydon residents .
So a 15% hike to pay for the mistakes of Negrini, Newman and others who were all rewarded for failure. Paul Scott and Alison Butler get away scot-free (forgive the pun). Kerswell has achieved nothing and had to be supplemented by a part-time mayor. Heather Cheesborough and Nicola Townsend have done irreparable physical, financial and reputational damage to the Borough and are still hanging around. No one but no one has been held to account. And we have to pay for it.