Category Archives: Paul Ainscough

Perry’s plan: More borrowing. More debt. And £58m more cuts

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Reports sneaked out ahead of next Wednesday’s council cabinet meeting talk of ‘difficult decisions’, after residents have already suffered six years of the consequences of ‘difficult decisions’. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since he pushed … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Claire Bonham, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, SEND, Stabilisation Plan, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

‘The saddest news about Croydon town centre since the riots’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Local MP and Fairfield ward councillors urge developers to make good on their long-standing promises to regenerate the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES MP Sarah Jones today called on Westfield “to work at pace to deliver … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How Labour-Tory marriage of convenience is failing Croydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: With the Green Party deliberately excluded from the planning committee by a Labour-Tory pact at the Town Hall, new councillor PAUL AINSCOUGH, pictured left, says that the borough’s two largest parties are still not listening to the public … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Paul Ainscough, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour’s secret deal with Tories to block Greens on planning

EXCLUSIVE: Once the election results were in last month, Croydon’s Labour leader agreed what’s been called ‘a shabby, short-sighted stitch-up’ to keep Green councillors away from important planning decisions – while also boosting allowances paid to their party. By STEVEN … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Jason Cummings, Mark Adderley, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Perry’s anti-democratic council has created constitution crisis

For the first time since it was created in 1965, Croydon Council has councillors from five political parties. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, looks at whether they will make any difference – or even be allowed to try While other councils … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Adam Kellett, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Gill Hickson, Mark Adderley, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Paul Ainscough, Ria Patel, Scott Holman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

#LocalElections2026: Greens make bigger inroads than Reform

Final result (after 28 wards declared): Lab 30 (-4), Cons 28 (-5), Grn 7 (+5), LibDem 2 (+1), Oth* 1, Ref 2 (+2) Ellie Sandover, niece of Labour PM Keir Starmer, elected to council for Bensham Manor ward Mark Adderley, … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Adele Benson, Barry Lewis, Ben Flook, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Dave Tchil, Elaine Jackson, Ellie Sandover, Fairfield, Graham Mitchell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Natasha Irons, New Addington North, Nick Mattey, Norbury, Norbury Park, Old Coulsdon, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sadiq Khan, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton Council, Thornton Heath, Tim Foster, Tom Drummond, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

#LocalElections2026: Live coverage from the Croydon count

Tory Jason Perry clings on to power as Croydon Mayor, dealing crushing blow to Labour’s hopes as he wins second term by 1,113 votes from Rowenna Davis It’s Conservative carnage in Sutton Labour losses in Wandsworth and Westminster Reform charmer … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Adele Benson, Barry Lewis, Ben Flook, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Dave Tchil, Elaine Jackson, Ellie Sandover, Fairfield, Graham Mitchell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Natasha Irons, New Addington North, Nick Mattey, Norbury, Norbury Park, Old Coulsdon, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sadiq Khan, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton Council, Thornton Heath, Tim Foster, Tom Drummond, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Private developers and landlords won’t fix our housing crisis

CROYDON COMMENTARY: ‘Abolish Landlords’ was a catchphrase at the recent Green Party conference, where it was recognised that correcting decades of failed housing policy will need a raft of solutions. PAUL AINSCOUGH explains At the Green Party annual conference, a … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Housing, Paul Ainscough, Peter Underwood, Planning, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Kerswell quits! But what happens next at crisis-hit council?

Mayor Jason Perry’s political rivals call for his resignation after a week when auditors have warned over ‘unsustainable’ finances and his CEO has left Croydon with a generous £50,000 pay-off. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell may not be replaced as … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Richard Howard, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council fails to spend £4m grant on climate change in 9 years

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘The council declared a climate emergency in 2019, but where’s the emergency response? This is a fight for survival, not a PR exercise.’ That’s according to one resident who wants to ask some pointed questions at next … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Caroline Russell, Climate Crisis Commission, Community associations, Croydon Community Energy, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Fairfield, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Paul Ainscough, Zack Polanski, Zoe Garbett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Labour councillor Clark is forced to seek re-election in Fairfield

With Tamar Barrett’s deselection in Thornton Heath earlier this week, 13 of Labour’s 34 councillors won’t be up for re-election next May. And one shadow cabinet member fears he will lose his Town Hall seat come polling day. By WALTER … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Nick Beall, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Labour deputy leaders Young and Collins to stand down in 2026

At least 15% of Croydon’s sitting councillors won’t be seeking election in 2026, while some are doing the ‘chicken run’ to stay on the council gravy train. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Nearly a dozen of Croydon’s current 70 … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Broad Green, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Clive Fraser, Coulsdon Town, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Louis Carserides, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Old Coulsdon, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Ria Patel, Richard Chatterjee, Rowenna Davis, Shirley North, Simon Brew, Simon Fox, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Sue Bennett, Thornton Heath, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Ex-Labour councillor to stand for Greens in Fairfield in 2026

Paul Ainscough, once a Labour parliamentary election candidate and a former councillor for the party, has been selected to stand for the Green Party at next year’s council elections in Fairfield ward. He says he “feels let down by Labour”. … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Paul Ainscough, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments