Croydon’s £204,000 per year chief exec appears to have bowed to the inevitable that the government will take over the running of the debt-laden council. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor
“Her empire is crumbling around her.”
That’s how one Croydon council staffer reacted to Inside Croydon’s exclusive news report yesterday that Huw Rhys Lewis BSc, BArch, MSc, MRIBA, MAPM, MRICS had become the fourth executive director in chief exec Katherine Kerswell’s corporate leadership team to leave Fisher’s Folly in the past six months.
Significantly, Lewis is one of two six-figure salaried execs to have their departures confirmed since the government’s announcement last month that it is considering sending in Commissioners to take over the running of Croydon.
Condescending: Katherine Kerswell
After an unusual gap of a week in her usual condescending messages to council staff, the chief executive resumed her “weekly waffle” last Friday.
Front-line staff did not need to do much reading between the lines to see that after five years of failure, despite massive cuts to staff and services, Kerswell is desperately trying to moderate her position and somehow back down from the outright opposition she initially showed to the Commissioner decision.
A Commissioner, or Commissioners, are expected to be named and to arrive in south London very soon. Perhaps as soon as this week, according to Kerswell herself.
Ahead of the formal appointment, the Croydon Commissioner(s) might even take some time out to prepare themselves by watching the webcast of tonight’s meeting of full council.
It’s the only full council meeting scheduled between now and October 22 – a 14-week period when Kerswell and her top brass will escape even a modicum of public scrutiny. Just the way Kerswell and her cronies like it.
Jim McMahon, the local government minister, nor officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, probably won’t have seen the message Kerswell sent to staff last Friday.
So here it is, for what it’s worth.
“This week,” Kerswell wrote, “I met with directors and heads of service to talk about the council’s current position in relation to government intervention.” It’s always reassuring to learn that someone being paid a salary of £204,000 per year is holding regular meetings with their colleagues.
Underwhelmed: government officials have not been impressed with the council’s response to Jim McMahon’s announcement
“With the improvement and assurance panel’s time with us ending on 20 July and Parliament heading into summer recess, we expect an update soon, possibly as early as next week,” meaning this week.
And Kerswell wrote: “Over the past three weeks, we have shared our views on the government’s announcement that they are ‘minded to’ appoint Commissioners and set out what we believe is more [sic] suitable next step for Croydon.”
Now, though, Kerswell, the only local authority chief exec ever to issue three Section 114 notices, has tried to pivot her position.
In her memo to staff, Kerswell wrote: “But we also know that we need to be ready if the decision is made to appoint Commissioners in whatever form that may take.”
Patronising doesn’t begin to cover Kerswell’s tone: “In this week’s meetings, we talked about what being ready really means both from an operational perspective – with our plans and procedures – but also as people.” Yep. She really did write that and then distribute it around the whole council.
“We must make sure that we are ready to work with Commissioners if they do come, to help them understand where we’ve been and where we think we’re able to go as an authority with the right support.”
Kerswell, who ordered that browsers on council-issued computers should block this website, promised to “write to you again soon as soon as we have more news”, and claimed that she wanted staff to have opportunities to express their views.
“Making time to talk to one another will continue to be absolutely essential, whatever the outcome.”
Inside Croydon is unable to confirm that there is an office sweepstake doing the rounds in Fisher’s Folly, with the winner to scoop a pool of cash based on how many more of her execrable weekly waffles Kerswell gets to write. Current favourite to win? Two.
Read more: Ministry planning one-year stay in Croydon for Commissioners
Read more: Mayor coming under pressure to sack council CEO Kerswell
Read more: From tantrum to grovel, Perry shifts posture for Commissioners
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