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Category Archives: Malcolm Wicks MP
The week at Westminster: grub’s up for MP access
It might cost £250,000 to secure a meal at No10 with “Call Me Dave” Cameron, but a school dinner with Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell is a “mere” £30. Former MP ANDREW PELLING takes the budget option to chart the … Continue reading →
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The week at Westminster: voting on the end of the NHS
Former Croydon MP ANDREW PELLING reviews last week’s parliamentary activity from our local representatives Another lightweight week for our local MPs. Perhaps, with the Cheltenham Festival taking place, some influential, horse-loving parliamentarians preferred it that way. Or maybe the business … Continue reading →
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The week at Westminster: Barwell’s Mayday promises exposed
Former Croydon MP ANDREW PELLING reviews last week’s parliamentary business for the borough’s three representatives, as well as Carshalton’s Tom Brake Richard Ottaway was by far the most active Croydon Parliamentarian last week as he found himself with the opportunity … Continue reading →
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The week at Westminster: Barwell backs multi-culturalism
Not exactly a busy seven days in parliament for Croydon’s MPs judging by ANDREW PELLING’s weekly round-up None of our Croydon MPs spoke in the Commons last week and only one participated in the sole vote of the week. It … Continue reading →
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Compromised riots report covers up policing problems
CROYDON COMMENTARY: He was an eyewitness to events and has been writing on the riots and their aftermath since about 6pm on August 8. ANDREW PELLING reviews the work of Croydon’s local inquiry published this week The Croydon Independent Local … Continue reading →
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Posted in Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Musker, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Inside Croydon, London-wide issues, Malcolm Wicks MP, Margaret Mead, Mayor of London, New Addington, Policing, Richard Ottaway MP, Riots Review Panel, Waddon, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
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Tagged Andrew Pelling, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Gavin Barwell, London Borough of Croydon, Malcolm Wicks, Whitgift Foundation
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The week at Westminster: More war, and more MPs’ holidays
Former MP ANDREW PELLING reviews the past seven days in parliament for Croydon’s representatives The only Croydon MP to deliver a full speech in the chamber last week was Richard Ottaway. With the Conservative MP for Croydon South (not that … Continue reading →
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Posted in Gavin Barwell, Malcolm Wicks MP, Richard Ottaway MP
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Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Iran, Member of parliament, Richard Ottaway
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Croydon’s MPs decide you won’t get a vote on Europe
How did your MP vote at Parliament last night over whether there should be a European referendum? ANDREW PELLING reports The chairman of Croydon’s UK Independence Party has been left exasperated after all three of the borough’s MPs last night … Continue reading →
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Party whip or conscience: where do our MPs stand?
This week ANDREW PELLING looks back to how – and why – our local MPs voted at Westminster on the sensitive topic of abortion, a headline-grabbing matter that went entirely under reported by Croydon’s other media outlets In the Gilbert … Continue reading →
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MP Wicks catches Boris offside over Spurs and £20m riot fund
Today, Prime Minister Dave “Hug a Hoodie” Cameron was in Tripoli, patronising the Libyans with trite soundbytes about how they’ve got their water supplies running. It does make you wonder quite what senior politicians actually take in when on “fact-finding” … Continue reading →
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Croydon’s MPs await news of a game of musical seats
This week, former Croydon Central MP ANDREW PELLING looks at what the Boundary Commission might have in store for our present three Parliamentary constituencies when it publishes its report tomorrow Time to get out the anoraks. No, not to deal … Continue reading →
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Posted in Andrew Pelling, Clare Hilley, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, London-wide issues, Malcolm Wicks MP, Richard Ottaway MP, Steve O'Connell
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Tagged Bernard Weatherill, Boundary Commission, Croydon, Croydon North, David Winnick, Humfrey Malins, London, Malcolm Wicks
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1 Comment
Martin Luther King, Croydon and putting riot victims first
ANDREW PELLING, left, in his regular column, looks at the different approaches to the needs of residents affected by the 8/8 riots by Croydon’s Labour and Conservative groups Parliament regales the government’s main opponents with the grand title “Her Majesty’s … Continue reading →
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Posted in Broad Green, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Gavin Barwell, Jon Rouse, Malcolm Wicks MP, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, West Croydon
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Tagged Andrew Pelling, Croydon, Ken Livingstone, London, London Borough of Croydon, Malcolm Wicks, Metropolitan Police Service, Tim Pollard
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Croydon 8/8: Police admit only 100 officers in thin blue line
A senior police chief admitted last night that Croydon was left virtually defenceless on 8/8, despite the authorities warning local traders of possible trouble since 9am that morning. There were so few police available in Croydon that residents off London … Continue reading →
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Croydon’s Tories look £50m gift horse in the mouth over EZ
In his latest column, ANDREW PELLING uncovers the reasons behind Croydon missing out on Enterprise Zone status: the council did not want to give up its control of planning Inside Croydon is running a series of interviews that are full … Continue reading →
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Posted in Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Broad Green, Business, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jon Rouse, London-wide issues, Malcolm Wicks MP, Mayor of London, Mike Fisher, Simon Hoar, Tim Pollard, Waddon
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Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Federation of Small Businesses, London, London Borough of Croydon, Tim Pollard, Tottenham Hotspur FC
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Rioters “wanted to kill a police officer” claims Commander
ANDREW PELLING has spent the past week visiting distraught residents, attending meetings and speaking to the people who run Croydon. He finds there’s still many unsettling questions to answer about the Croydon riots Nearly two weeks on, the smouldering embers … Continue reading →
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Posted in Andrew Pelling, Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Jon Rouse, Malcolm Wicks MP, Mike Fisher, Richard Ottaway MP, Simon Hoar, Steve O'Connell
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Tagged Croydon, London, London Assembly, London Road, Metropolitan Police Service, Purley Way, Steve O'Connell, West Croydon station
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Croydon police chief says her force was overstretched
In an extended interview with Inside Croydon columnist ANDREW PELLING, fitted in between a command meeting and maintaining high profile policing, Croydon’s Acting Borough Commander Jo Oakley defends the police’s performance in Monday’s riots With an ICM poll in The … Continue reading →
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Croydon 8/8: Borough’s top cop was called away before riots
Adrian Roberts, the Met Police’s Borough Commander, was diverted away from his Croydon base just as tensions were building towards the riots of last Monday night. According to police sources, Croydon’s most senior officer had been ordered to Scotland Yard … Continue reading →
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Posted in Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon North, Gavin Barwell, Malcolm Wicks MP, Richard Ottaway MP
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Tagged Croydon, David Cameron, Gavin Barwell, London, Malcolm Wicks, Scotland Yard, West Croydon station
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Croydon 8/8: Do you agree with Cameron on policing the riots?
Four years ago, it was Dave “Hug a Hoodie” Cameron. Of course, our Prime Minister was away on holiday when Tottenham, Clapham and Croydon were burning last week. But yesterday, after recalling Parliament, the former Bullingdon Club member said this … Continue reading →
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Posted in Broad Green, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon North, Malcolm Wicks MP
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Tagged Bullingdon Club, Croydon, London, London Borough of Croydon, West Croydon station
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Croydon was vulnerable after being short-changed for decades
In his first regular commentary on life in the borough, ANDREW PELLING, the former local councillor, London Assembly member and MP, offers some answers to a fundamental question about 8/8 – why Croydon? Why Croydon? It is a good question. … Continue reading →
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Posted in Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Broad Green, Business, Coulsdon, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jon Rouse, Ken Livingstone, London-wide issues, Malcolm Wicks MP, Mayor of London, New Addington, Planning, Purley Way, Shirley North, Simon Hoar, Steve O'Connell, Thornton Heath, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre
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Tagged Andrew Pelling, Broad Green, Croydon, Ken Livingstone, London, London Borough of Croydon, Purley Way
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5 Comments
Croydon 8/8: Local Tamils say “We have been doubly let down”
The local Tamil community, many of whom managed or owned the shops and businesses along London Road that were wrecked by the rioting on Monday night, has issued this statement: The Croydon Tamil community feels doubly let down by the … Continue reading →
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Tories insist they “will” impose unwanted parking changes
Councillor Phil “Two Permits” Thomas’s shabby attempts to impose money-raising parking controls in Croydon took another turn yesterday, as homes in part of the northern Controlled Parking Zone around Broad Green finally received formal letters to ask them whether they … Continue reading →
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AV, BNP and Stephen Fry: more reasons to vote on Thursday
It is always worth remembering, people died for us to have the right to vote. So come Thursday’s referendum on the voting system, do make sure that you get out and exercise your democratic right privilege. Our regular reader will … Continue reading →
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Ottaway takes to the stage to defend the status quo
Anyone who has Ottaway spotting as a hobby – where you look for sightings of a rare old bird who does not often land in the vicinity of Croydon South – then next Wednesday, April 27, at Purley Baptist Church … Continue reading →
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AV or not AV, that is the question
Four weeks today, and Croydon and the rest of London ought to be going to the polls. While much of the rest of the country will also be voting in some form of local elections, the only thing for Londoners … Continue reading →
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Beaten on libraries, Government looks to change the law
The American magazine, Sports Illustrated, used to have a weekly feature “Signs that the Apocalypse is upon us”, using the latest toe-curling examples of the madness and avarice of professional sport. Here at Inside Croydon Towers, we’re seriously considering a … Continue reading →
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Six libraries under threat: which will Croydon close?
Good video clip of Croydon North MP Malcolm Wicks joining the protestors at Norbury Library, campaigning against its closure. Here: Malcolm at Norbury March.
