Category Archives: 2026 council elections

Labour’s secret deal with Tories to block Greens on planning

EXCLUSIVE: Once the election results were in last month, Croydon’s Labour leader agreed what’s been called ‘a shabby, short-sighted stitch-up’ to keep Green councillors away from important planning decisions – while also boosting allowances paid to their party. By STEVEN … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Jason Cummings, Mark Adderley, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

We’re glad all over! The Croydon Insider looks back on Leipzig

The Croydon Insider returns to its more eclectic look at recent local news, with a visit from the website’s football correspondent to share his experience of travelling to Leipzig for the European Conference League final. Plus, the panel discusses how … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Andrew Sinclair, Annabel Smith, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Education, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Old Palace, Schools, SEND, Tom Bowell, Trinity School, Under The Flyover, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boy survived SEND system to become Broad Green councillor

The council term formally begins at the Town Hall tonight, with Croydon facing many of the same problems which previous administrations have failed to resolve. GABRIEL MacARTHUR meets a new councillor with unique insights Councillor Tom Bowell’s visits to Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Broad Green, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Gabriel MacArthur, Schools, SEND, Tom Bowell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perry’s anti-democratic council has created constitution crisis

For the first time since it was created in 1965, Croydon Council has councillors from five political parties. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, looks at whether they will make any difference – or even be allowed to try While other councils … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Adam Kellett, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Gill Hickson, Mark Adderley, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Paul Ainscough, Ria Patel, Scott Holman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just the job! Council hands £200,000 finance chief role to Hall

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the rushed recruitment of a Commissioner-approved appointee to a permanent role in Fisher’s Folly, helped with £30,000 in ‘danger money’ Croydon’s cash-strapped council under Tory Mayor Jason Perry is still able to find enough … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Wake up’ call from Croydon MP as she backs PM ‘Uncle Keir’

As health secretary Wes Streeting considers resigning from government, possibly triggering a leadership challenge, Steve Reed, Sarah Jones and Natasha Irons are backing Starmer “Uncle” Keir Starmer is clinging on to the job of Prime Minister, probably grateful for the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon East, Croydon West, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Election podcast: How did 33% tax hike Perry manage to win?

It could yet go down as the biggest mugging ever seen in Croydon – the day that nearly 36,000 people were conned into voting for Conservative Mayor Jason Perry. So just how did Perry, the incompetent Mayor who hiked your … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Earthquake election but Croydon only felt some small tremors

TV and radio politics pundit ANDREW FISHER, right, looks at Croydon’s local election results in the context of the seismic elections that took place across Britain Across England, Wales and Scotland, the 2026 elections delivered a political earthquake that rocked … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Croydon Greens, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

King faces possible leadership challenge after election defeats

Our Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the immediate fall-out from Labour’s Rowenna Davis failing to become Mayor of Croydon There will be a Labour Party leadership contest this week – but in Katharine Street, rather than Downing Street. While … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Amy Foster, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Janet Campbell, John Wentworth, Manju Shahul Hameed, Rowenna Davis, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

#LocalElections2026: Greens make bigger inroads than Reform

Final result (after 28 wards declared): Lab 30 (-4), Cons 28 (-5), Grn 7 (+5), LibDem 2 (+1), Oth* 1, Ref 2 (+2) Ellie Sandover, niece of Labour PM Keir Starmer, elected to council for Bensham Manor ward Mark Adderley, … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Adele Benson, Barry Lewis, Ben Flook, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Dave Tchil, Elaine Jackson, Ellie Sandover, Fairfield, Graham Mitchell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Natasha Irons, New Addington North, Nick Mattey, Norbury, Norbury Park, Old Coulsdon, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sadiq Khan, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton Council, Thornton Heath, Tim Foster, Tom Drummond, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

‘The vote on the left split more than the vote on the right’

ELECTION COMMENTARY: Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor, may have been handed another four years in office, but the voting numbers declared yesterday spell trouble for the borough’s other Conservatives. By STEVEN DOWNES, Editor, Inside Croydon Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor, … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Chris Philp MP, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Elaine Jackson, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Natasha Irons, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Orangewash: Reform Ltd hands Sutton council to the LibDems

INSIDE SUTTON: Labour now have more council seats in Sutton than the Conservatives, after a  local election wipeout  It was carnage for the Conservatives in Sutton overnight, as Barry “Basher” Lewis and his Liberal Democrats hardly had to lift a … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Barry Lewis, Dave Tchil, Nick Mattey, Outside Croydon, Ruth Dombey, Sheldon Vestey, Sutton Council, Tim Foster | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

#LocalElections2026: Live coverage from the Croydon count

Tory Jason Perry clings on to power as Croydon Mayor, dealing crushing blow to Labour’s hopes as he wins second term by 1,113 votes from Rowenna Davis It’s Conservative carnage in Sutton Labour losses in Wandsworth and Westminster Reform charmer … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Adele Benson, Barry Lewis, Ben Flook, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Dave Tchil, Elaine Jackson, Ellie Sandover, Fairfield, Graham Mitchell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Natasha Irons, New Addington North, Nick Mattey, Norbury, Norbury Park, Old Coulsdon, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sadiq Khan, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton Council, Thornton Heath, Tim Foster, Tom Drummond, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Vote count delays raise ‘real concerns’ over ballot security

EXCLUSIVE: A three-day election count, and a pause between the polls closing tonight and ballot verification tomorrow morning, has raised serious questions over arrangements for the count, which is taking place at the Fairfield Halls. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor  … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Mayor Perry’s secret plan to privatise Croydon’s public parks

Buried deep in their uninspiring election manifesto, Croydon Tories have let slip that they want to hand over at least one of the borough’s public open spaces to a private company. SANDRA STEAD reports Jason Perry, the Croydon Mayor who … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Labour’s Davis should be in front when final whistle is blown

ONE DAY TO GO: An unusually subdued local campaign enters the final day with a last-minute visit from the Leader of the Opposition to try to salvage the Tory Mayor’s hopes of re-election. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rick Howard, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP, Zack Polanski | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Labour dumps their hard-working Thornton Heath councillor

THE TOSS-CARS 2026, Part 2: Inside Croydon reveals the borough’s hardest-working councillors. PLUS: Which Town Hall figure managed just 12 reports to the council’s smartphone app all year? The Labour Party goes in to Thursday’s local elections with the hardest-working … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Samir Dwesar, Simon Fox, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

These are the questions that Mayor Perry is too afraid to face

ANDREW FISHER has interviewed three of the main candidates standing for election as  Croydon Mayor. Only Tory Jason Perry refused our invitations. What has Perry got to hide? These are the questions Perry has left unanswered Apparently, “Mayor Perry remains … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, The Andrew Fisher Interview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Perry couldn’t fix the finances because he can’t even add up

As the Town Hall election campaign enters its final days, the simperingly pathetic ‘give me another chance’ messaging from failed Mayor Jason Perry has got increasingly desperate. And deceitful. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports It’s no wonder Croydon’s Mayor Jason … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Mayor Jason Perry, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Reform’s arrival in Sutton could clear path for ruling LibDems

The elections on May 7 seem likely to return a Liberal Democrat council – one strengthened by seats won from the Tories by Reform, who are fielding some candidates who don’t even bother disguising their racist views and support for … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Barry Lewis, Carshalton and Wallington, Sutton and Cheam, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Police called after TTIP candidate disrupts police meeting

Police were called out to a meeting held in Woodside on Thursday night when it was interrupted by a man described by eyewitnesses as “aggressive”, “intimidating”, “rude” and “misogynistic”. The disrupted meeting was organised by… Croydon police. The disrupter was … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Community associations, Crime, Knife crime, Policing, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Perry didn’t ‘fix the finances’. He’s increased debt to £1.7bn

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Is Mayor Jason Perry deceiving voters about the state of Croydon Council’s debt? iC reader SIMON JELLIPOT certainly thinks so At the last local elections in 2022, Jason Perry, the Conservative candidate for Executive Mayor of Croydon, made … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Polling stations in Croydon to use voting aid for first time

For Croydon residents whose vision is impaired, next week’s local elections will represent a breakthrough, as the council is providing special devices in polling stations which will allow them to cast their votes independently and in secret, just like their … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Age UK Croydon, Charity, Croydon Council, Croydon Vision | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Keir Starmer’s niece is council election candidate in safe ward

Party members in Croydon’s second safest Labour ward express concern over the deselection of their sitting councillor, to be replaced with a 20-something with friends in high places. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Sir Keir Starmer’s niece is a local election … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Bensham Manor, Croydon East, Croydon West, Ellie Sandover, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Humayun Kabir, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Polls tighten in Town Hall race as Farage’s grifters get closer

SEVEN DAYS TO GO: You probably don’t want to read ‘It’s too close to call’ again, but judging by the latest, London-wide polling figures just published, the race to be Croydon Mayor is tighter than ever. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rick Howard, Rowenna Davis, Shirley North, Steve Reed MP, Zack Polanski | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments