Category Archives: Ben Taylor

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Agent on a mission overlooks Coulsdon Tories’ dark secret

It is just over a year until Croydon goes to the polls in its second Mayoral election, and the local Tories already seem up for the fight. But leading the way for them is a paid gofer who struggles to … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Council Tax, Croydon South, Ian Parker, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

‘Nosey’ Parker proves to be a costly expense for local Tories

Our Political Editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on a spectacular own-goal by Croydon Tories’ long-standing agent It is said that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. The aphorism played out at Croydon Conservatives’ HQ at 36 Brighton Road in Purley would … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon South, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour candidate refuses to answer questions over spending

According to their election expense returns for one constituency, Croydon Labour were paying a worker at a rate of just £26.89 per day during last year’s General Election campaign. And rival politicians reckon their numbers don’t add up, as WALTER … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon South, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

After ‘The Croydon Effect’ comes Labour’s ‘The Thin Mandate’

So what’s next? How does last Thursday’s voting at the General Election pan out for Croydon’s part-time Mayor? WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, crunches some figures Croydon’s residents may well be relieved, delighted even, that apart from the possible, occasional local … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, 2026 council elections, Ben Taylor, Carshalton and Wallington, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton and Cheam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tory leadership bid? Victoria Derbyshire won’t believe her luck

No sooner had human punchbag ‘Congo’ Chris Philp managed to cling on to his Croydon South seat, the Evening Standard was bigging him up as a Conservative leadership contender. Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports The Evening Standard, a doomed city … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

#GeneralElection2024: final results for Croydon constituencies

Following our full and detailed live coverage of election night, here are the full, formal results from the General Election for Croydon’s seats.

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Lambeth Council, Natasha Irons, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Scott Ainslie, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

#GeneralElection2024: Through-the-night results coverage

#GE2024: HERE WE GO Welcome to Inside Croydon’s unmatched coverage of the 2024 General Election results night for south London. Working with our colleagues at GreenwichWire, we have reporters and citizen journalists at the counts in Croydon (natch), Sutton, Brixton … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Bexley, Bromley Council, Carshalton and Wallington, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Elliot Colburn, Lambeth Council, Luke Taylor MP, Natasha Irons, Outside Croydon, Peter Underwood, Reigate and Banstead Council, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Scott Ainslie, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton and Cheam, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Can you vote for politicians who won’t answer your questions?

CROYDON ELECTION QUESTIONS For this General Election, Inside Croydon offered a platform to candidates from across the political spectrum, from across the borough’s four constituencies. Much the same questions, their answers to be published at length. But some of the … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Croydon West, Rick Howard, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Desperate times, desperate measures: PM Sunak visits Purley

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: They thought it was some kind of secret liaison at their local HQ in Purley. But WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, reports on the last roll of the dice by Croydon’s Tory MP Photos: GEORGE BURDICK and HUNTER SQUIRES … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Purley, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Latest poll predicts the implausible with Philp doing Houdini act

Labour candidates have been briefed to say nothing or to claim ‘Nuffink to do wiv me, Guv’ is their best way of dodging questions about their party’s bankrupting the borough, as the campaign crawls its way towards its final week. … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Andrew Pelling, Ben Taylor, Bobby Dean, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Ellie Reeves MP, Elliot Colburn, Luke Taylor MP, Natasha Irons, Paul Scully MP, Sarah Jones MP, Sutton and Cheam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Starmer’s a no-show for Labour’s secretive Fairfield Halls rally

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, wasted his morning turning up to see the son of a toolmaker, who swerved at the first sign of awkward questions and so missed out on seeing the mess made of Croydon by his Labour … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Fairfield Halls, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Philp fighting for survival as Tories face capital punishment

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the stark news contained within the latest, most extensive piece of opinion polling, one month before election day With General Election day exactly one calendar month away, the latest and most extension polling done yet … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Elliot Colburn, London-wide issues, Marley King, Paul Scully MP, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton and Cheam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Splash and purge: just another five weeks of campaigning to go

It started with a damp squib, but as the days have passed, the campaign has got steadily murkier. ANDREW FISHER assesses the first week of the 2024 General Election A week ago, in a wet Downing Street, Rishi Sunak, the … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Andrew Fisher, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Chrishni Reshekaron, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Jess Hammersley-Rich, Natasha Irons, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, West Thornton, Woodside | 1 Comment

After Sunak’s washout on ‘Drowning St’, here comes a wipeout

GENERAL ELECTION SPECIAL: Our in-house psephological expert, WALTER CRONXITE, looks at Croydon’s new constituencies and the uncertain political prospects for some come July 4 With a sodden Prime Minister running away from letters of no confidence from his own party’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Andrew Pelling, Anthony Boutall, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Elaine Garrod, Gavin Barwell, Jason Cummings, Marley King, Natasha Irons, Richard Howard, Sarah Jones MP, Scott Ainslie, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon’s Tory MP confronted: ‘Why should we trust you?’

It is not just Croydon Labour who are in ‘special measures’ with their national party officials, as alarm bells are ringing at Conservative HQ over the election prospects of ‘Congo’ Chris Philp. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Croydon Conservatives have … Continue reading

Posted in Amy Foster, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Park Hill and Whitgift, Redhill, Reigate and Banstead Council, Surrey, Sutton Council, Tandridge District Council, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The shifts below the waterline that require action from all sides

ANDREW FISHER takes a look behind the numbers from Thursday’s election and finds lessons for Labour as well as the Tories For all the “excitement” of Thursday’s elections, nothing much changed for Croydon. Labour’s Sadiq Khan remains London Mayor, Conservative … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Andrew Fisher, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon South, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Natasha Irons, Neil Garratt, Sadiq Khan, Susan Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Don’t panic! MP Philp could lose seat in Tory election wipe-out

By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Inside Croydon’s long-dormant mole inside Croydon Tories’ headquarters in Purley (it’s been an especially long winter, even for small furry creatures that don’t usually hibernate) reports having been rudely awoken by the sound of … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Andrew Pelling, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, London-wide issues, Paul Scully MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

NUTS! Croydon Labour blunders into new cover-up shock

Embroiled in a series of controversies, the latest being the cover-up of the vote rigging for their own Croydon East parliamentary selection, the local Labour Party blundered into a cover-up of a different sort in Coulsdon on Saturday. And no, … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, 2024 London elections, Andrew Price, Ben Taylor, Carole Bonner, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon Central, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Jason Cummings, Jess Hammersley-Rich, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Natasha Irons, Park Hill and Whitgift, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Susan Hall, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Noisy Gaza protestors send Campbell’s audience scurrying

Warmonger Alastair Campbell was forced to scuttle upstairs as his speaking engagement in Croydon last night descended into disorganised farce. The event was a campaign fund-raiser organised by Labour MP Sarah Jones, although in reality it was just as much … Continue reading

Posted in Ben Taylor, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Croydon West, Sarah Jones MP, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

7% swing not enough in Uxbridge after Reed’s mixed messages

ANDREW FISHER on yesterday’s by-election results, and the key role played by a Croydon politician in Labour’s flawed campaign in an outer London seat Yesterday’s three parliamentary by-elections tell us that the Conservatives will lose the next General Election. But … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, 2024 London elections, Andrew Fisher, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon North, Croydon South, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Newman’s Numpties join race to become Croydon’s new MP

Even political editor WALTER CRONXITE’s ghast was flabbered when he heard how some of those at the heart of the council regime that bankrupted the borough are now shamelessly chasing after selection for a new parliamentary seat Last week’s announcement … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Chrishni Reshekaron, Croydon Central, Croydon East, Croydon North, Croydon South, Croydon West, Maddie Henson, Olga Fitzroy, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Ribeiro-Addy is shunted aside for Reed’s political ambitions

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the end of an era for Labour voters in Croydon North and Croydon Central, as David Evans and his party’s NEC hand-picks parliamentary candidates in south London Croydon’s Labour MPs last night announced that they … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Alisa Flemming, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon East, Croydon North, Croydon South, Croydon West, David Evans, Lambeth Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Norbury, Olga Fitzroy, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The ‘Croydon Factor’ could yet damage Labour MPs’ prospects

CROYDON IN CRISIS: With the party flying high in the polls nationally, Labour’s London region staged a conference over the weekend where the mood was bullish as the implosion of the Tory government and its tax dodgers continues. But for … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Ben Taylor, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Mayor Jason Perry, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Voters looking for third parties’ assurance over reds and blues

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Opinion polls suggest that the Tories should have no chance of electoral success in this borough. But as WALTER CRONXITE outlines in this second part of a special report, ‘the Croydon effect’ of the Newman years has … Continue reading

Posted in Ben Taylor, Claire Bonham, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon North, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments