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Category Archives: Bensham Manor
Individuals and single candidates seek votes in splintered field
Nominations for candidates for the May 7 local elections close later today, and the final forms will include independents and single candidates from new parties looking to win a seat at the Town Hall. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, looks at … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, Alison Butler, Bensham Manor, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Graham Mitchell, Humayun Kabir, Shirley North
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 local elections, Bensham Manor, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ellie Harrison, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Graham Mitchell, Jamie Audsley, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Borough of Croydon, Reform, Shirley North, The Green Party, Thornton Heath, Tory, Your Party
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Labour tweaks the rules to make sure members have no say
There might actually be something resembling a council candidate selection meeting for Labour members in Broad Green ward tonight – though most reasonable people will see through it as a thinly disguised foregone conclusion By STEVEN DOWNES Some Labour members … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Taylor, Broad Green, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Fairfield, Manju Shahul Hameed, Rowenna Davis, Thornton Heath
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Addiscombe, Addiscombe East, Amy Foster, Bensham Manor, Chrisni Reshekaron, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield, John Wentworth, Julie Setchfield, Labour, Labour National Executive Council, Labour NEC, Maddie Henson, Melanie Felten, Mrs Anonyvoter, Norbury and Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Patsy Cummings, Sam Attwater, Selhurst, South Norwood, STUART KING, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside
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Local Labour members angry at ‘travesty’ of selection process
Uncharacteristic ‘openness’ from the Labour Party exposes their latest sham selection process, with candidates for next year’s local elections being named without grassroots members in most wards getting any say at all. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The fix is in. … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Appu Srinivasan, Bensham Manor, Brigitte Graham, Catherine Wilson, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Croydon East, Croydon West, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Fairfield, Janet Campbell, Jeet Bains, Jess Hammersley-Rich, John Wentworth, Karen Jewitt, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Maddie Henson, Matt Griffiths, Mohammed Islam, Natasha Irons, Norbury, Norbury Park, Patsy Cummings, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Addiscombe, Addiscombe East, Amy Foster, Bensham Manor, Chrisni Reshekaron, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield, John Wentworth, Julie Setchfield, Labour, Labour National Executive Council, Labour NEC, Maddie Henson, Melanie Felten, Mrs Anonyvoter, Norbury and Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Patsy Cummings, Sam Attwater, Selhurst, South Norwood, STUART KING, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside
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Corbyn’s new party to stage first public event in Croydon
Big numbers, and some big figures from Croydon politics, are expected at Ruskin House next Tuesday, reports Political Editor WALTER CRONXITE Anyone wanting to get themselves a seat had better turn up early at Ruskin House next Tuesday, when the … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, David White, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Karen Jewitt, Patsy Cummings
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Croydon, Croydon Assembly, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon TUC, Croydon West, David White, Green Party, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour, London, Natasha Irons MP, Ruskin House, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Streatham and Croydon North, Your Party, Zara Sultana
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Four black women among six councillors rejected by Labour
Six of Labour’s 34 sitting councillors have been deemed not good enough to be candidates for the party at the 2026 local elections – including a council shadow cabinet member and a 2024 parliamentary candidate. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Karen Jewitt, Norbury Park, Patsy Cummings, Sherwan Chowdhury, Thornton Heath
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Karen Jewitt, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Labour, Labour National Executive Council, Labour NEC, Patsy Cummings, Shirley North, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Woodside
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Trebles all-round! Kerswell’s nominated herself for an award
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council still has debts of £1.4bn, or more, but that won’t stop a select few execs attending a gala event at a Mayfair hotel next week, where tables cost up to £5,000 and our bureaucrats are … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Veolia
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Grosvenor House Hotel, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, LGC, Local Government Chronicle, Local Government Chronicle Awards, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tony Newman, Tory
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Duo given life sentences for murder of ‘friend’ Lucas Sutton
Murderers Keahn Williams and Kai Nelson-Palmer plotted on Snapchat before their ‘pre-meditated, callous act’ Two men have been found guilty of the 2023 Croydon murder of Lucas Sutton. The Metropolitan Police have described Keahn Williams and Kai Nelson-Palmer as “former … Continue reading
Man to appear in court charged with murder in Thornton Heath
The police have this morning named Larry Nimoh as the man charged with the murder of a woman in Thornton Heath on Monday night. The woman has been identified as 31-year-old Jamelatu Tsiwah. A post-mortem examination found the cause of … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Crime, Thornton Heath
Tagged Bensham Lane, Jamelatu Tsiwah, Larry Nimoh, Metropolitan Police, murder, Thornton Heath
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Police make two arrests after Bensham Lane woman’s murder
“This is Croydon, isn’t it?” That was the response from a Bensham Lane resident when asked by the BBC whether the area is unsafe, following the latest murder in Croydon, a 30-year-old woman who was found dead by first responders … Continue reading
Kafkaesque world of contractors clearing 98% of fly-tips
Rubbish contractors Veolia have been handed a very generous, £40million reprieve to remain Croydon’s domestic waste and street cleaning gig for another seven years, but there’s been little sign of any improvement in the service they provide. In fact, according … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Business, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Love Norbury, Mayor Jason Perry, Norbury, Norbury Park, Refuse collection, Thornton Heath, Thornton Heath Community Action Team, Veolia
Tagged Bensham Manor, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Graham Mitchell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Norbury, Norbury and Pollards Hill, Thornton Heath, Tony Hooker, Tory, Veolia
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MP Reed claims those who left borough broke ‘have now gone’
WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, checks the ‘facts’ where other local news outlets dare not look Steve Reed OBE, the MP who was Labour’s front bench spokesperson on local government at the time that the council for the area he is … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Evans, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Lambeth Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon Park Hotel, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
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Negrini doctored specialist reports and withheld finance details
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Investigators from Kroll never had investigatory powers to check people’s bank accounts in the search for possible fraud over the £73m refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls. But there was evidence in the public domain of ‘direct personal … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Arup, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mott MacDonald, Penn Report, Project Dillon, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tory, Vinci, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
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Kroll Report provides no answers to £73m Fairfield fiasco
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jo Negrini refused to be interviewed, all Colm Lacey’s emails got wiped and former cabinet members Newman, Scott, Butler and Hall were never spoken to in person as part of the £310,000 investigation. By STEVEN DOWNES Late … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Penn Report, Project Dillon, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory, Vinci, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
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Labour Party chief’s consultancy business is in deep trouble
EXCLUSIVE: Might the failure of David Evans’s Croydon-based business offer some clues to the effectiveness, or otherwise, of his time running the party machine for Keir Starmer? By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Whatever might be planned by David Evans … Continue reading
Evans above! Labour’s General Secretary to stand down
WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the end of an error David Evans, the former key aide to Tony Bliar and one-time Croydon businessman who was installed as party General Secretary after Keir Starmer became Labour leader, is to stand down … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, David Evans
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, David Evans, Keir Starmer, Labour, London, Paul Scott, Tony Bliar, Tony Newman
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Ombudsman creates league table of London’s failing councils
The Housing Ombudsman has launched a special investigation into Lewisham Council, which is guilty of “repeated failings”. The watchdog said it would carry out the probe into the south London council after issuing it with 16 “severe maladministration” findings in … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Bexley, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, Lewisham, London-wide issues, Merton, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council
Tagged Alison Butler, Bexley, Brick by Brick, Bromley, Croydon, Croydon Council, Housing Ombudsman, Labour, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richard Blakeway, Southwark, Sutton
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£68m: final cost of Brick by Brick, as agreed by Mayor Perry
£68m This is what a “solvent liquidation” looks like, according to Croydon’s elected Mayor Jason Perry. That’s the latest final estimate of the exit costs of winding down and closing Brick by Brick, the failed housing company set up by … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Planning, Simon Hall, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Tory
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Pawsons Road heroin dealer given 10-year prison sentence
A Croydon villain has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with an extra five years on licence, after he was caught on his own Bensham Manor doorstep carrying a bag containing two guns, ammunition, body armour and nearly 5 … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Crime, Policing
Tagged Bensham Manor, Christopher McKenzie, Colt .25, Heroin, Metropolitan Police, Pawsons Road, Thornton Heath, Zoraki
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Croydon man sentenced to life for Canvey Island murder
Jamie Lewis, 25, from Bensham Lane, has been jailed for a minimum of 24 years for the 2023 murder in Canvey Island of Matt Portland. Father-of-two Portland was 42. On Friday, February 3 last year he intervened in a dispute … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Crime, Knife crime
Tagged Bensham Lane, Canvey Island, Croydon, Essex, Essex Police, Jamie Lewis, knife crime, Matt Portland, murder, Thornto Heath
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Tories pick Fox for Croydon constituency that doesn’t exist
Local Conservatives bungle the announcement of their ‘token’ parliamentary candidate for a safe Labour seat. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Not for the first time, Croydon Tories and Mayor Jason Perry last night demonstrated that they really don’t know what … Continue reading
Posted in 2024 General Election, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Croydon West, Fairfield, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, Simon Fox, South Norwood, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Croydon West, Mayor Jason Perry, Simon Fox, South Norwood, Tory, Waddon
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‘Grand National’-sized field in the running for Croydon East
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the short memories and absence of shame among Newman’s numpties seeking selection for ‘higher’ office Boris Johnson is not the only politician with no shame. One of the numptiest of Newman’s numpties, Manju Shahul-Hameed, continues … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Amy Foster, Chrishni Reshekaron, Croydon Central, Croydon East, David Evans, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Olga Fitzroy, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera, Tony Newman
Tagged #LabourFiles, Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Broad Green, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Evans, Johnson Situ, Keir Starmer, Labour, Labour NEC, London Borough of Croydon, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Marianna Masters, Natasha Irons, Olga Fitzroy, Patsy Cummings, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera
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Teenager charged with Pawsons Road murder of Lucas Sutton
A 16-year-old boy appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court today charged with the murder of 22-year-old Lucas Sutton in what has been described as “an altercation” on Mayo Road at around 7.45pm on Tuesday evening. Sutton died after being taken to … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Crime, Knife crime
Tagged Bensham Manor, Lucas Sutton, Metropolitan Police, Pawsons Road
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Murder investigation after stabbing outside Pawsons Arms
Detectives are investigating a murder after a man in his 20s was stabbed to death in a fight on Mayo Road, Bensham Manor, on Tuesday evening. The victim was reportedly “knifed repeatedly” before being found dying from his injuries in … Continue reading
Posted in Bensham Manor, Crime, Knife crime
Tagged Bensham Manor, knife crime, Metropolitan Police, Pawsons Arms, Pawsons Road
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