Category Archives: Caragh Skipper

Take your pick: our ward-by-ward guide to council elections

With a complete listing of all the candidates in Croydon’s May 5 councillor vote, political editor WALTER CRONXITE provides a guide to where the contest for the Town Hall might be won or lost The introduction of Croydon’s first democratically-elected, … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Andrew Pelling, Badsha Quadir, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Felicity Flynn, Gareth Streeter, Hamida Ali, Helen Redfern, Jade Appleton, Jan Buttinger, Janet Campbell, Jason Perry, Jose Joseph, Kenley, Leila Ben-Hassel, Mike Bonello, New Addington North, Norbury, Norbury Park, Ola Kolade, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Oni Oviri, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, Scott Roche, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, Simon Hall, Simon Hoar, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Hollands, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Butler and Scott among those not facing the voters again

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on the high drop-out rate among Croydon’s Labour councillors, bruised and deflated after nearly eight years in charge at the Town Hall Paul Scott and Alison Butler, the husband and wife duo who made up … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Housing, Jamie Audsley, Jose Joseph, Joy Prince, Louisa Woodley, Mary Croos, Paul Scott, Robert Canning, Selhurst, Stephen Mann, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Row after Labour councillor calls for scrutiny chair to resign

Backbench councillors who have been marginalised for years under Tony Newman and his cronies are beginning to ask some awkward questions. KEN LEE reports Jamie Audsley, a councillor consigned to almost permanent backbench status under the rule of former leader … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Buck’s off: Newman’s paid aide flies to Norway for the winter

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the lengthy absence from work of the Labour Party staffer who fixed a candidate selection in favour of one of his mates Mystery surrounds the continuing employment status of Jack Buck, the Labour … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fix! Internal Labour inquiry confirms selection stitch-up

EXCLUSIVE: After the local Labour Party tried to cover-up the scandal of their botched handling of the Fairfield ward by-election last year, the resulting inquiry criticises the ‘questionable integrity and competence of paid party officers’. By STEVEN DOWNES An internal … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Jack Buck, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Newman hand-picks ‘Secret Seven’ to check on finance panel

EXCLUSIVE: The beleaguered council leader has moved to avoid  being held responsible for the borough’s massive £1.5bn debt and huge over-spend, reports KEN LEE A group of councillors, secretly hand-picked by Tony Newman, will meet tonight to discuss the council’s … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Wood, Leila Ben-Hassel, Patsy Cummings, Simon Hall, Stephen Mann | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour Party orders Newman to cancel his planned group AGM

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, reports on the latest setback for the council leader, and a financial blow for one of his most loyal supporters Tony Newman, the Labour leader at Croydon Town Hall, has been dealt another blow after being … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Toni Letts, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Newman switches planning chair before remote meeting

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest behind-the-scenes shenanigans going on at the Town Hall The fix is in. Two days before the Croydon planning committee is due to meet for the foregone conclusion of approving a Brick by Brick … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Homes, Housing, Niro Sirisena, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Toni Letts, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Newman’s ‘virtually all there’ for his secret Town Hall meeting

The government finally moved late last week to make it legally possible for local authorities to stage “virtual” council meetings, and to continue with a semblance of Town Hall business during the covid-19 lockdown. Yet less than 48 hours before … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Council, CVA, Jo Negrini, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman feels pressure as Fairfield selection referred for review

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on how an internal party scandal is about to cause more discomfort for the Croydon council leader As council leader Tony Newman comes under increasing pressure over a range of policy failures, while the Democratically Elected … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, David White, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Newman stifles report which alleges conspiracy over selection

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on a leaked report over the rumbling row in Croydon Labour over a selection stitch-up that saw Tony Newman’s favoured candidate put forward for last November’s Fairfield council by-election A internal party report, leaked to … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Central, David White, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Campaigns committee has mounting questions for Newman

Questions over the mishandling of Labour’s candidate selection for the Fairfield ward council by-election last month are mounting for Tony Newman. Newman leads the Labour group at Croydon Town Hall in an autocratic style, using hundreds of thousands of pounds … Continue reading

Posted in 2019 General Election, Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour win Fairfield by-election despite 10% vote drop

WALTER CRONXITE crunches the numbers after a council by-election where the biggest losers were the residents of Croydon Jack Buck, the Labour Party paid employee who fixed the Fairfield ward selection so that his friend, Caragh Skipper, could be nominated … Continue reading

Posted in 2019 General Election, Andrew Rendle, Caragh Skipper, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Mario Creatura, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour election worries: ‘We’re heading for an unholy Buck up’

Jack Buck, the Labour Party employee who last month was at the centre of a candidate selection fix for the Fairfield by-election, has ordered party members in the borough to ignore that scandal and to turn out for canvassing sessions. … Continue reading

Posted in 2019 General Election, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Central, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘He’s running scared’: Newman cancels Town Hall meetings

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, reports from the Town Hall, where the council leader is playing hard to get Tony Newman, Labour’s leader on Croydon Council, has cancelled December’s full meeting of the council, using the General Election on December 12 … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Central, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Creatura reported for fly-tipping during his rubbish campaign

Those who suspected that next week’s Fairfield council by-election might turn out to be… well, a bit rubbish, have been proved right. A pile of dumped Tory leaflets were discovered in the town centre last week, slowly turning to mush … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Rendle, Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Mario Creatura, Niro Sirisena | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Empty promises and puppet candidates shape Fairfield vote

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, crunches the numbers ahead of the next Croydon polling day Labour look to be on course to win the election. No, not the Christmas General Election which Prime Minister Boris Johnson may or may not … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Central, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, Jose Joseph, Mary Croos, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Momentum demand inquiry into Fairfield selection scandal

Nearly a month since their self-proclaimed founder resigned as a councillor following a “serious incident”, Croydon Momentum have finally broken their silence over the scandal and shambles of the Labour Party selection for the Fairfield ward by-election. In their belated … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Central, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour meeting to consider move to boycott Fairfield campaign

The pressure on Tony Newman as leader of the Labour group on Croydon Council continues to mount, as one of Croydon’s three constituency Labour parties will this week consider a motion that “deplores the behaviour of the council leadership” over … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon South, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ex-Labour councillor Rendle stands for LibDems in Fairfield

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on one of the more intriguing twists to emerge from the nominations for next month’s council by-election It is often said that the Liberal Democrats in Croydon stage their meetings in a phone box. To … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Andrew Rendle, Caragh Skipper, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman accused of ‘evil stitch-up’ over Fairfield candidate

STEVEN DOWNES reports on allegations of bullying and racism within the Croydon Labour Party after the local leadership fails to nominate a democratically selected candidate for a ward by-election The Labour Party in Croydon is in turmoil today, after council … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Surrey Street stall-holder picked to run in Fairfield by-election

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the latest blow to the leadership of the local Labour Party Jose Joseph, a stall-holder in Croydon’s historic Surrey Street Market, was selected last night to be the Labour Party’s candidate in the Fairfield ward … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Mary Croos, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Skipper named in Labour’s five-woman shortlist for Norbury

The Norbury and Pollards Hill council by-election will be staged on March 14, but there has already been some manoeuvring over candidate selection by Labour, as WALTER CRONXITE reports As was entirely predictable, Caragh Skipper, Croydon Labour leader Tony Newman’s … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon North, Maggie Mansell, Norbury, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour to have all-woman shortlist for Norbury by-election

Labour is to have an all-woman shortlist to select its candidate for the by-election in Norbury and Pollards Hill. The council has yet to announce a date for the by-election, which has been caused following the death last month of … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Maggie Mansell, Norbury, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Could Newman back ‘shoot Trump’ Skipper for Assembly?

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE has found Croydon Town Hall’s political ‘elite’ on manoeuvres, hopeful of selection for bigger, better allowances. But is the local Labour leader going to back a complete outsider? Despite campaign groundwork being laid for a snap … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, 2021 London elections, Addiscombe East, Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Caragh Skipper, Fiona Twycross, Joseph Lee, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sadiq Khan, Shaun Bailey, Simon Hoar, Sutton Council, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment