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Category Archives: Jacqueline Harris-Baker
Accountancy watchdog moves in on officials from Woking
After almost five years, not a single person in Croydon has ever been held responsible for their parts in the council’s financial collapse, the scandal of Brick by Brick or the Fairfield Halls refurbishment fiasco. But in Surrey, two former … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Financial Reporting Council, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, Simon Hall, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tory, Woking Borough Council, Woking Council
9 Comments
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
15 Comments
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
13 Comments
After four-year delay, council to submit complaint reports
CROYDON IN CRISIS: There won’t be any further police investigation. The council’s pursuit of Jo ‘Negreedy’ Negrini for her pay-off cash appears to have collapsed. But chief exec Katherine Kerswell might now write a couple of sternly worded letters. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Sutton Council, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, Sutton Council, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
4 Comments
Police drop all investigations into council’s financial collapse
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It now emerges that the Met decided to take no further action over allegations of possible fraud or false accounting as long ago as June 2023. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES There will be no prosecutions brought against … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
24 Comments
Council’s action over Negrini pay-off ‘looks dead in the water’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Despite a bit of grandstanding by Tory Mayor that he would ‘hold to account’ those responsible for bankrupting the borough, an official Freedom of Information response shows that the council is actually doing nothing. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Richard Simpson, S114 notice, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, Shifa Mustafa
7 Comments
Kerswell keeps councillors waiting for her tribunal feedback
CROYDON IN CRISIS: How will the borough’s £192,474 per year chief executive explain the suggestion that she lied under oath when defending herself against allegations of racism? By KEN LEE, Town Hall reporter Almost a month has passed since the … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle
Tagged #PennReport, Appointments and disciplinary committee, Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Hazel Simmonds, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Section 114, The Penn Report
12 Comments
Accountancy body launches investigation of ex-finance chief
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Thurrock, in Essex, gave our own council a two-year head start in the bankruptcy stakes, but now they are taking the kind of action which was recommended here long ago. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report
Tagged Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Essex, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Liam Kavanagh, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Simpson, Sean Clark, Shifa Mustafa, Thurrock, Thurrock Council, Tory
7 Comments
Kerswell’s 100-page tribunal defence against racism charges
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A three-week hearing at the Employment Tribunal could cost the cash-strapped council at least £150,000 – with tax-payers picking up the legal tab again. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Cash-strapped Croydon Council, the local authority that says it … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa
15 Comments
After two years, Simmonds legal case approaches its end-game
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A council committee is to meet in secret later this week, potentially to discuss whether the authority should settle out-of-court over allegations of race discrimination and victimisation brought by a former senior employee Croydon Council’s Employment Tribunal … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa
3 Comments
Mayor Perry: we’ve reported no one for bankrupting borough
Tory Mayor now blames police for slow investigation – after having submitted complaint over former council leaders more than two years after the council received recommendations that it should do so. By KEN LEE, Town Hall reporter In an extraordinary … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report
Tagged #PennReport, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
4 Comments
Council ordered to give £15,000 back-pay to ex-boss Simmonds
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council has incurred another costly legal defeat, after one of those execs axed in the ‘Kerswell kull’ two years ago wins her Employment Tribunal case Croydon Council and its chief executive, Katherine Kerswell, have been dealt … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa
11 Comments
Perry admits he can’t take action against council’s bankrupters
Croydon’s part-time Mayor has always known that the actions of councillors and senior council staff ‘can decimate an authority… without any fear of recrimination’. But he’s been very reluctant to admit his impotency to the borough’s residents. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Improvement Board, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, DLU, DLUHC, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
19 Comments
Kerswell still holds out over Penn Report’s recommendations
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Those with the biggest responsibilities and with statutory duties let the organisation down’ according to the investigation into the council’s financial collapse. The two-year delay in publication appears to have let down the borough’s residents and council … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, CIPFA, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Metropolitan Police, Penn Report, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
12 Comments
Newman breaks his silence to tell Mail: I did no wrong
CROYDON IN CRISIS: With the Penn Report into possible wrong-doing at the council expected to be released by officials shortly, the former council leader has responded to reports in the national press. By STEVEN DOWNES The Daily Mail today became … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
14 Comments
Kerswell finally prepares to publish long withheld #PennReport
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s £193,000 per year CEO has descended into the realms of Alice In Blunderland with her latest excuses for ignoring elected councillors and the public. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive, claims that it … Continue reading
Posted in Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Tory
5 Comments
Bankrupt council paid firm of solicitors £2m over two years
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council used to have a senior official known as the ‘Borough Solicitor’. These days, the cash-strapped council is out-sourcing much of its legal work to a single firm of solicitors, at huge cost. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report
Tagged #PennReport, Blackstone Chambers, Browne Jacobson, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jane Mulcahy KC, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report, Tory
24 Comments
Judge orders CEO Kerswell to face tribunal over racism claims
Our Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest development in the increasingly messy aftermath of Croydon’s bankruptcy Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s £192,474 per year chief executive, will have to face up to 11 days in an Employment Tribunal and claims … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report
Tagged #PennReport, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Hazel Simmonds, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, The Penn Report, Tory
9 Comments
#PennReport: Staff speak out about ‘scandalous’ bullying
CROYDON IN CRISIS: In an online poll conducted over the weekend, the overwhelming majority of iC readers – 92.5% – said that wanted to read more from the Penn Report into ‘possible wrong-doing’ at their local council. So, because Mayor … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Nathan Elvery, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Simon Maddocks, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
10 Comments
Mayor breaks silence to say he won’t publish #PennReport
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Part-time Perry took four days to respond to questions over the refusal to publish a controversial report, only to confirm that he is not in charge of the council. By STEVEN DOWNES Four days after he was … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
25 Comments
#PennReport: Croydon has been let down by political leaders
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The report into the council’s financial collapse that has been withheld for nearly two years includes damning criticisms of some of the council’s most senior staff and political leaders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s dysfunctional council went … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Ofsted, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
3 Comments
#PennReport wanted police probe into possible misconduct
CROYDON IN CRISIS: For nearly two years, the council has withheld a detailed report into ‘possible wrong-doing’ at the Town Hall, together with recommendations for a Met Police investigation and the seeking of a refund on the £437,000 pay-off to … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Crime, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Collective corporate blindness, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, LGA, Lisa Taylor, Local Government Association, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, RIPI, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
19 Comments
Former council exec drops employment case on technicality
Guy van Dichele, the former council exec director who was suspended in February 2021 as part of the “Kerswell Kull” of senior staffers who had run the borough in the lead-up to its financial collapse, has dropped his Employment Tribunal … Continue reading
Council exec Simmonds quits after 18 months ‘gardening leave’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The final obstacle to the release of the Penn Report into possible wrongdoing in Croydon has finally been removed, just ahead of an Employment Tribunal hearing this week. By STEVEN DOWNES Hazel Simmonds, one of five council … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Municipal Journal, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
4 Comments
Secret report into wrong-doing at council still kept under wraps
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Eighteen months after an investigation into how the council’s finances collapsed, the report into the affair – which prompted the resignation of the council leader and four execs – remains unpublished. And the council CEO intends keeping … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
13 Comments
