CROYDON IN CRISIS: The thing is with the Conservatives and spending public money, they have no qualms when it comes to lavishing hundreds of thousands of pounds on themselves. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
To the absolute surprise of no one at Croydon Town Hall, it has emerged that failed Mayor Jason Perry has handed the position of his office manager to a former Tory Party staffer who previously worked as a parliamentary aide to Croydon South MP Chris Philp.
Initially hired for six months, the job as Perry’s glorified gofer comes with pay at a rate equivalent to £78,000 per year.
Ryan Baldry, who spent three years working for Conservative Central Office, including a spell as press officer when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, announced his new job on social media.
Political appointee: Tory hack Ryan Baldry is being paid the equivalent of £78,000 to manage piss-poor Perry’s office
“Today, I’ve started a new role at Croydon Council Council [sic], as office manager to the Executive Mayor Jason Perry.
“Anyone who’s worked with me will know I’ve long been a fan of devolution and the opportunities that come from giving local areas more control over their own futures. So, after several years working in public affairs and advising on engagement with Westminster beyond [sic], it’s great to now be working directly in local government.”
In common with many parliamentary aides and special advisers, Baldry had recently dived into the sphere of public relations consultancy. That can’t have been going too well, as he’s opted to work for piss-poor Perry.
“I’ve also really enjoyed the past few months working independently, meeting new people and taking on different projects,” Baldry claimed.
“So now on to a new challenge in the world of local government that I’m looking forward to embracing!”
Baldry has never held elected office, and he certainly was not on the ballot paper for the local elections in May this year.
According to the office manager’s job ad, “We are seeking an exceptional Mayor’s office manager to lead the Mayor’s office and provide strategic and operational support to the Executive Mayor and cabinet during a pivotal period for the borough.” So it’s a political appointment, paid for with public money.
“This is a rare opportunity to work at the centre of local government, influencing decision-making, coordinating key priorities and ensuring the successful delivery of the Mayor’s vision.”
And listed among the office manager’s “key responsibilities” for this publicly funded political job are: “Coordinating political priorities and ensuring delivery against key commitments” and “Working closely with the Mayor’s policy adviser”. All paid for with your money.
Baldry might have found things a little crowded in the Mayor’s office on the 12th floor of Fisher’s Folly on his first day. By Inside Croydon’s reckoning, he is now sharing the office with at least three other Perry political appointees, plus any admin staff allocated from the cash-strapped council’s much-reduced staff roster.
No expense spared: Perry’s political recruit could be paid at a rate of up to £78,000 per year
In all, Perry, Baldry, “community engagement manager” Andrea Perry (no relation) and Mario Creatura, the former councillor who remains desperate to become a Tory MP, are pocketing close to an estimated £300,000 of Croydon’s rate-payers’ money in salaries and consultancy fees over the course of a year. Nice work if you can get it…
Meanwhile, Perry continues to make cuts across services for the public, closing libraries, axing lollipop road safety patrols and outsourcing CALAT.
By April 2027, Croydon Council Tax will have increased by
39%
in four years under Jason “Fix the Finances” Perry. Trebles all-round!
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