Jason Perry would resign from his £84,000 per year job as Croydon’s executive Mayor if he had any dignity.
That’s the view of Andrew Fisher, one of the guests on the latest bumper edition of The Croydon Insider, this website’s news and discussion podcast which has been made available to all readers today.
Fisher, the Labour Party’s former policy director, was reacting to iC’s report last week about the gratuitous freeloading and gift-taking that Tory Mayor Perry has indulged in since taking on the role in May 2022.
Among the freebies greedily accepted by Mayor Perry were three separate sets of tickets to football matches at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground, some including VIP hospitality, as well as dinner for four at Birch Selsdon, possibly the priciest restaurant in Croydon, and a slap-up meal with one of Britain’s most notorious property lobbyists.
Drawing attention to the wide-ranging gift-taking of national politicians, including Labour leader Keir Starmer, Fisher said, “He’s the elected Mayor, elected as the first executive Mayor, but we all know he’s no longer executive, he hasn’t got any powers, the commissioners are running the council basically, there’s nothing left for him to administrate apart from cuts and he has to do that with the permission of the commissioners anyway.
“So really, he’s taking an £85,000 salary, for a job he’s no longer doing, and he’s taking freebies on top of that.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it?
“So leave aside the politics of all this for a second, but just on a human level: the council’s bankrupt, you’re paid £85,000 to do a job that doesn’t really exist any more… If you had any dignity you’d resign and just go, ‘You know what, save the money’.”
You can listen to the entire recording below, including the reactions and condemnations from the podcast’s other guests of the Mayor’s gift-taking.
On this lively edition, they include Dr Ross White, the chief executive of the Garwood Foundation charity, Donna Fraser, the former Olympic sprint finallist and holder of the Freedom of the Croydon, broadcast journalist Cheryl Fergus-Ferrell and, from the South Norwood Community Kitchen, Emma Gardiner
Dr White talks about how his charity is trying to recover from the shock of having one of its specially adapted mini-buses stolen and trashed, with an appeal seeking to raise £20,000 to fund its replacement.
White together with Gardiner talk about the impact of the council’s penny-wise, pound-foolish cuts on the borough’s voluntary sector – and the panel discusses ideas around community action that can be mobilised to provide the support that so many of our neighbours might need.
Listen to the full Croydon Insider podcast September episode, recorded with a blinking great giraffe in the room, here:
The Croydon Insider is premium content for the supporters of Inside Croydon, who enjoy priority access to the podcast, as well as regular money-saving discounts and exclusive prize competitions, as well as other benefits for supporting this website for less than £5 per month.
Now also available via Spotify.
- 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
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content
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
Despite, having submitted my question prior to the Q & A at Norbury Baptist Church yesterday, for the Mayor’s Q & A , it was very disappointing at best ,that the Mayor’s team did not choose my question. My question related to the 1. 6 billion debt and his progress to chase the money, with the relevant agencies, together with accountability.
You’re too nice and law-abiding Sarah. Had you been a horrible child molester, he’d have gladly responded. I suggest you submit your question to part-time Perry as a Freedom of Information request; details are on the council’s website
Did that and still waiting!
I served an FOI on Council leader and CEO 2 years ago plus by email . Not responded too.ICO served formal notice . Still ignored. I understand that the ICO has served formal notice upon the Council for all outstanding FOI’s etc. Let us all hope that the ICO proceeds to Court. It is a blatant breach and no one or body is above the law
Who will replace him? Not worth the effort. In any case would have to pay for another election, more debt!
He’s already been replaced, by the government-appointed improvement panel, who together with CEO Katherine Kerswell will be making all the significant decisions through until 2025, at the earliest.
I know a few that would be happy to do the role along with donating at least half the salary to local charities each month. Many would be grateful for the freebies and not having to queue outside London Road for food and the police escort to get home safe and not be stabbed or raped or mugged.
All would answer all questions and tell us the truth about what they see and hear and all would take decent advice and respond.
Not many belong to any political party but most care about their community and Neighbours and have first hand knowledge of the shit going wrong.
None are career poloticians.
Strange that!
yes, he needs to quit. He is not inventive or a people person, goin g to events and keeping quiet in the background is not what Croydon needs. He does nto stand out in a crowd like a MAYOR should…..
Inclined to agree except for one part. One event in a charity he attended for publicity (and their funding was still cut) he stood out for a bit as most were wondering why he was there – but that did not last – He was asked one polite question and the speed he left that premises would have shamed Usain Bolt!
Definitely not a rabbit caught in the headlights but more like that Chas and Dave little ditty you know the one that goes – – – Run rabbit run rabbit run run run!
That Rabbit song wasn’t Chas and Dave, but Flanagan and Allen.
“The decent thing to do is quit”, then he’s obviously not going to quit. He has no decency
Dignity was also mentioned.