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Category Archives: Katherine Kerswell
Add poor time management to Mayor’s long list of failings
TOWN HALL SKETCH: Jason Perry missed the kick-off of the big match in Leipzig, and managed to deliver his annual ‘state of the borough’ speech without a single mention of the cash-strapped council’s finances. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Jason … Continue reading
Posted in Adam Kellett, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, New Addington South, Scott Roche, Stuart King
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Adam Kellett, Cllr Scott Holman, Conservative, Council constitution, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Scott Roche, The Green Party, Tory
5 Comments
Croydon’s GIGO ‘economy’ stops people paying Council Tax
Our cash-strapped council has squandered millions on its failed Croydon Digital department, and then wasted millions more on outside consultants who pressed on with the ‘Digital First’ policy. Yet we now have a council website which makes it more difficult … Continue reading
Council Commissioner Warren set to retire from Greenwich job
Debbie Warren, one of the £1,000 per day Commissioners appointed by the government last year to oversee the financial management of crisis-hit Croydon Council, has announced that she is to step down from her “day job” as chief executive at … Continue reading
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 Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Labour, Leipzig, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 151 officer
2 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 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Ben Flook, Chris Philp MP, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Coulsdon, Councillor Rowenna Davis, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, South Norwood, Tory
28 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 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Ballot verification, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Election count, Fairfield Halls, London Borough of Croydon, Returning Officer
14 Comments
Council’s £166,000 assistant CEO quits Croydon after 8 weeks
More problems with recruitment and retention at the cash-strapped council as the woman tipped for top job heads for the exit. KEN LEE reports Jenny Rowlands, who was hired in February as the council’s £166,000 per year assistant chief executive, … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged Camden Council, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Interim assistant chief executive, Interims, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
7 Comments
Croydon’s rewards for failure laid bare in Town Hall Rich List
Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive who issued three Section 114 notices of effective bankruptcy during her time in charge at the council, was taking home salary and pensions totalling £223,838 in the year before she left Fisher’s Folly. Yet Kerswell … Continue reading
Posted in Annette McPartland, Bromley Council, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Helen Bailey, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Southwark Council, Susmita Sen, Sutton Council
Tagged Ade Adetosoye, Althea Loderick, Annette McPartland, Bromley Council, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Helen Bailey, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lambeth council, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Simpson, Section 151 officer, Southwark Council, Susmita Sen, Sutton Council, Tax Payers Alliance, Town Hall Rich List, TPA
10 Comments
Council rushes through £200,000 finance job ahead of elections
Government-appointed Commissioners are pushing through the appointment of a new finance director at the Town Hall – regardless of who might become Croydon’s new Mayor. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council, which has debts of £1.4billion, is about to hire … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Annette McPartland, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Susmita Sen
Tagged Annette McPartland, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 151 officer, Susmita Sen
3 Comments
Perry’s latest climbdown as his Purley banner is ruled unlawful
Fewer than 5% of Inside Croydon readers consider the Croydon Mayor’s banner to be ‘honest’, as the biased messaging is removed from outside council-owned leisure centre. By our Political Editor, WALTER CRONXITE Contractors have been ordered to remove a banner … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Local media, Mayor Jason Perry, Polaska, Property, Purley, Purley Pool, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King
Tagged Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kim Jong Un, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, North Korea, Our Croydon, Polaska, Propaganda, Purley Leisure Centre, Purley Pool, Purley Pool Towers, Richard Howard, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, STUART KING, Tory
7 Comments
Perry dodges scrutiny as council delays refunds of LTN fines
CROYDON IN CRISIS: What do you mean, you can’t easily find how to claim a refund of the unlawful low traffic neighbourhood fine you were forced to pay? Do you expect the council to make the repayments system simple and … Continue reading
Posted in Alasdair Stewart, Broad Green, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Venetia Reid-Baptiste
Tagged Alasdair Stewart, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fine refunds, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, Leila Ben-Hassel, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTN fine refunds, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Tory, Upper Norwood
3 Comments
Commissioners: council lacks focus and robust delivery plans
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government releases report critical of the lack of progress and slow pace of improvements in finances under Tory Mayor Jason Perry. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Six weeks out from the local elections, the government has published … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory
8 Comments
Whatever could they mean? Commissioners call for ‘honesty’
In what is overall a highly critical report from the government-appointed Commissioners after six months working closely with the council run by successive chief execs Katherine Kerswell (until she left in October with a £50,000 pay-off) and Elaine Jackson, and … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioners, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory
4 Comments
Labour’s Town Hall leader files complaint over Perry’s spending
Council’s top lawyer questioned over the public funds used to distribute a propaganda freesheet worthy of something from the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports Jason Perry has been accused of abusing his position as Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fisher's Folly, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor's Question Time, Our Croydon, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Town Hall
14 Comments
No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND
Tagged 2026 council budget, audit and governance committee, Cllr Amy Foster, Cllr Ian Parker, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council budget, Council IT department, Croydon, Croydon Council, Education, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Oracle, SEND, Shelley Davies, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Synergy, Tory
4 Comments
LTN fine refunds on the way – but Perry doesn’t yet know how
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It has taken the borough’s £86,000 per year Mayor more than a week to make an official statement on his unlawful LTN moneyspinners. But he still doesn’t know how the cash-strapped council will refund the PCN fines. … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Tory, Upper Norwood
5 Comments
Traffic creeps back on to Croydon’s now-banned LTN streets
What has been the reaction of residents to the sudden removal, by order of a High Court judge, of motoring restrictions in Croydon’s former Low Traffic Neighbourhoods? We sent GABRIEL MacARTHUR along to two streets affected in Broad Green to … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Gabriel MacArthur, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Association of British Drivers, Broad Green, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Gabriel MacArthur, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Open Our Roads, Parsons Mead, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Sutherland Road, Tory, Upper Norwood
10 Comments
Perry accused of ‘shameless lying’ as he abandons LTN appeal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After spending two years in a High Court battle to defend his decision to make six Low Traffic Neighbourhoods permanent, today Croydon’s Mayor tried to claim credit for their forced removal. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council will … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Association of British Drivers, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Open Our Roads, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Upper Norwood
36 Comments
Council failed to include High Court LTN case on risk register
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council bosses were either over-confident that they would win the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods case at the High Court, or ‘completely, crassly incompetent’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Mayor Jason Perry, who has been claiming that he has got … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Association of British Drivers, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Open Our Roads, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Upper Norwood
8 Comments
Quashing of orders ‘raises serious questions’ about LTN fines
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Following the High Court ruling quashing Croydon’s ‘unlawful’ Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, the shadowy organisation behind the legal case, Open Our Roads, issued the following statement: Open Our Roads welcomes today’s landmark High Court judgement in Lawrence v … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Association of British Drivers, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Open Our Roads, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Upper Norwood
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High Court judge orders end to Croydon’s ‘unlawful’ LTNs
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Judge Edward Pepperall has handed down his ruling in the case brought against the borough’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and found that comments by Mayor Jason Perry proved that the measures were introduced to make money for the … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense
Tagged Association of British Drivers, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, High Court, Judge Edward Pepperall, London, London Borough of Croydon, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, Open Our Roads, Royal Courts of Justice, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Upper Norwood
17 Comments
This is where ‘Don’t rock the boat’ has become official mantra
CROYDON COMMENTARY: With local elections fast approaching, the national press has been taking a closer look at Croydon. Business owner NITIN MEHTA posted a comment in response to an article in Murdoch-owned The Times, and here expands on his points … Continue reading →
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