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Category Archives: Ria Patel
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 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Adam Kellett, Cllr Claire Bonham, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Gill Hickson, Cllr Scott Holman, Conservative, Council constitution, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Adderley, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Ria Patel, The Green Party, Tory
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Part-time Perry’s Leipzig dilemma as Mayor faces fixture clash
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Life-long’ Palace fan is going to have to do some work to earn his £86,000 council salary, as opposition parties refuse to change date of Town Hall’s annual meeting on the night that the Eagles will be making history … Continue reading
Posted in Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Stuart King
Tagged Cllr Claire Bonham, Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, Green Party, Labour, Leipzig, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Rayo Vallecano, Tory, UEFA, UEFA Conference League
9 Comments
43 days to go and desperation is appearing in election leaflets
After all the calamities inflicted on Croydon by Tory Mayor Jason Perry, from his 33% Council Tax hikes to his unlawful LTN fines, has Labour fallen into their old trap of over-promising before under-delivering? WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington North, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Ria Patel, Richard Howard, Shirley North, Shirley South, Tony Newman
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Brick by Brick, Claire Bonham, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Tory
3 Comments
Councillors make call to divest from Israeli-linked companies
More than 150 councillors from across London’s boroughs and London Assembly members have signed a letter demanding divestment of council pension funds from corporations which fund or support Israeli abuses against Palestinians. Yet only one of Croydon’s 70 councillors has … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bromley Council, Dave Tchil, Kingston, Lambeth Council, Ria Patel, Sheldon Vestey, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council
Tagged Bexley, Bromley, CIV, Cllr Ria Patel, Croydon, Croydon Council, Gaza, Green Party, Israel, Labour, Lambeth, Liberal Democrats, London Collective Investment Vehicle, Martin Abrams, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ria Patel, Southwark, Sutton Council
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‘Red v Blue’ at Town Hall elections could suffer a Green-wash
Polling day in Croydon’s local elections, including its second mayoral vote, is on May 7. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through recent opinion polls and by-election results, but has a warning from history of how ‘challenger parties’ can be swept … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington North, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley North, Shirley South, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Alison Butler, Boris Johnson, Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Green Party, Hannah Spencer, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory, Zack Polanski
7 Comments
Labour refuse to respond to Cummings’s budget challenge
WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on a sham challenge issued to rival political parties by a borrowing-dependent Conservative administration that is trying to con the public that they have ‘fixed the finances’ As Tory Mayor Jason Perry prepares to deliver what … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Claire Bonham, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged 2026 council budget, 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Stuart King, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Lollipop patrols, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
9 Comments
‘If you think parks are protected, think again’ says CPRE report
Despite receiving £23m in grants for the up-keep of Croydon’s parks, only eight of the council’s 127 open spaces have Green Flag status. GIANELLA A BASILE looks over a new report which details more than 50 green spaces under threat … Continue reading
Posted in Ashburton Park, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Gianella A Basile, Heathfield House, Housing, Lambeth Council, Lloyd Park, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Norwood Grove, Refuse collection, Ria Patel, Steve Reed MP, Uncategorized
Tagged CPRE London, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dame Judi Dench, Friends of Lloyd Park, Gianella A Basile, Green Belt, Heathfield House, Lloyd Park, London Borough of Croydon, Metropolitan Open Land, Norwood Grove, Steve Reed OBE, TCV, The Conservation Volunteers
4 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 Abolish Landlords, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Paul Ainscough, Peter Underwood, Prof Abi O'Connor, Right-to-buy, Steve Reed OBE, Thatcher, Thatcherite
7 Comments
‘War starts here on our doorsteps’: Greens picket weapons fair
Ria Patel, one of Croydon’s Green Party councillors, was part of a sit-down protest in Docklands yesterday at the start of a two-week picket of DSEI – Defence and Security Equipment International – one of the world’s largest arms fairs. … Continue reading
Town centre PSPO is another Perry failure. It’s time to scrap it
CROYDON COMMENTARY: It was Einstein who was supposed to have said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Here, PETER UNDERWOOD, right, questions the council’s thinking behind the … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Policing, Ria Patel
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Town Centre, Fairfield, Green Party, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, PSPO, Public Spaces Protection Order, Tory
7 Comments
Jewitt tops councillor charts for a second successive year
After the brickbats for the work-shy do-littles who populate our Town Hall Chamber, today we celebrate those elected representatives who keep busy by keeping council officials busy They will be dancing down Sauchiehall Street tonight, as proud Scot Karen Jewitt … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Foster, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Gayle Gander, Karen Jewitt, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Robert Ward, Rowenna Davis, Samir Dwesar, Simon Fox, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, West Thornton, Woodside
Tagged Cllr Amy Foster, Cllr Claire Bonham, Cllr Karen Jewitt, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Councillor allowances, Croydon, Croydon Council, Gayle Gander, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Samir Dwesar, Sherwan Chowdhury, Simon Fox, Tory, Toss-cars
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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 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Addiscombe, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Broad Green, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Coulsdon Town, Croham, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Green Party, Labour, Labour National Executive Council, Labour NEC, LibDems, Liberal Democrats, Louis Carserides, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Patricia Hay-Justice, Purley and Woodcote, Richard Chatterjee, Shirley North, Simon Brew, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Sue Bennett, Thornton Heath, Tory, Woodside
13 Comments
‘Hypocrite’ Tory voted for proposal to destroy heritage home
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on a planning committee meeting where Conservative councillors backed a private developer’s bid to drastically alter a listed family home in a conservation area So much for Tory Mayor Jason Perry protecting family homes in … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Ian Parker, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Ria Patel
Tagged Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Ian Parker, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Morgan, Planning, Ross Gentry, Tory
12 Comments
What a load of old rubbish! And that’s just inside the Town Hall
There’s only a handful of opportunities each year for the public to question the way their council is being run, but as ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, discovered when watching last night’s full council meeting, it is increasingly obvious that the … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Callton Young, Christopher Herman, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Heathfield House, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Live Facial Recognition cameras, Mayor Jason Perry, Refuse collection, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Simon Fox, Stuart King, Veolia, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Cllr Callton Young, Cllr Christopher Herman, Cllr Jason Cummings, Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Gaza, Green Party, Heathfield House, Israel, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Pension fund, Rowenna Davis, Tory, Waddon
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Protests mount as Perry rejects petitions with 5,000 signatures
CROYDON IN CRISIS: MP Natasha Irons says that ‘democracy is being undermined by Croydon Council’, as the Conservative-controlled authority is refusing to debate the situation at the carers’ centre on George Street and the on-off-on-again sale of listed building Heathfield … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Carers First, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Heathfield House, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Ria Patel, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King
Tagged Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Carers Centre, Croydon Carers Support Centre, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Heathfield House, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons MP, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory
11 Comments
Gone missing: Mayor ducks Town Hall cabinet for three months
EXCLUSIVE: Key public meetings have been cancelled, without any explanation, as Jason Perry is accused of wanting to run the borough by Trump-style edict. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Jason Perry, the Mayor of a borough that is £1.4billion in … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Council Cabinet, Council meetings, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, STUART KING, Tory
8 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
Big Brother arrives in Croydon with Orwellian police cameras
North End and London Road are to be the first locations in the country to have permanently fitted Live Facial Recognition cameras, despite significant concerns about the legalities of the surveillance techniques and questions over their whether they even work … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Knife crime, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Policing, Ria Patel, Zoe Garbett
Tagged Big Brother Watch, Chris Philp MP, Cllr Ria Patel, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Croydon West, Green Party, Labour, LFR, Live Facial Recognition, London, London Assembly, London Road, Metropolitan Police, North End, Ria Patel, Supt Mitch Carr, Tory, Zoë Garbett
24 Comments
Heritage building Heathfield House is pulled from auction
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Jason Perry’s bungling council has now withdrawn the publicly-owned Grade II-listed building from the auction in their latest embarrassing climbdown Croydon’s bungling Mayor Jason Perry has been forced to withdraw Heathfield House from the controversial auction … Continue reading
Posted in Addington, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon parks, Environment, Gardening, Heathfield House, History, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Property, Ria Patel, Wildlife
Tagged Addington Hills, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Gravel Hill, Heathfield House, Historic England, HMO licence, House of multiple occupancy, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons MP, New Addington, Raymond Riesco, Ria Patel, Riesco collection, Tory
12 Comments
Top Tory admits Fairfield Halls could be sold for the right deal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Come on down! The price is right!’ The cabinet member for finance has said that the arts and conference centre could yet be sold if the cash-strapped council is ordered to do so. By STEVEN DOWNES Jason … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Music, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Theatre
Tagged 20th Century Society, BH Live, BHLive, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory
9 Comments
They voted to raise your Council Tax, then to increase their pay
TOWN HALL SKETCH: Things don’t sound too good in the Chamber these days, and it is not just because the council has hired a cheaper contractor for its audio system. As tempers frayed at the most important meeting of the … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Amy Foster, Avril Slipper, Callton Young, Christopher Herman, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Carers, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Kola Agboola, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged 2025 Council budget, Claire Bonham, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Kola Agboola, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, STUART KING, Tory
5 Comments
Hastings councillor offers a way through the political brambles
How should we counter the rise of the far-right? As KEN TOWL found out when he arrived on time at the Croydon School of Philosophy, by offering some truth and understanding In the School of Philosophy on Addiscombe Grove, not … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Ken Towl, Natasha Irons, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP
Tagged Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Green Party, Greens, Hastings and Rye, Hastings Council, Ken Towl, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Nigel Farage, Peter Underwood, Reform UK, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Tory, Yunis Smith
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