Recent Comments
Stefan on 1-in-5 Londoners have no idea… Excroydonian on 1-in-5 Londoners have no idea… Christopher Myers on 1-in-5 Londoners have no idea… Arfur Towcrate on 1-in-5 Londoners have no idea… Kevin Croucher on 3rd class service: Royal Mail… Michael Hall on Open air Shakespeare is coming…
Category Archives: Simon Hall
#PennReport: Cover-ups and denial over Brick by Brick failure
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The ‘highly dysfunctional’ council had ‘no transparency or accountability’ over the way it handled millions of pounds of public money. And this latest extract from the Penn Report shows that some key figures refuse to accept responsibility … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIF, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report
7 Comments
K-erch-ing! Lobbyists consult on £200m scheme for hotel site
Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports on the cosy relationship between developers’ PR firm and a senior figure at the council The property developer lobbyists who employ the leader of the Labour group at Croydon Town Hall are to stage … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe West, Botanical House, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Housing, Property, Simon Hall, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Addiscombe West, Amro Real Estate Partners, Cllr K-erch-ing, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Labour, STUART KING, Terrapin Group, The Lilibet
2 Comments
#PennReport: Staff speak out about ‘scandalous’ bullying
CROYDON IN CRISIS: In an online poll conducted over the weekend, the overwhelming majority of iC readers – 92.5% – said that wanted to read more from the Penn Report into ‘possible wrong-doing’ at their local council. So, because Mayor … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Nathan Elvery, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Simon Maddocks, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
10 Comments
Mayor breaks silence to say he won’t publish #PennReport
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Part-time Perry took four days to respond to questions over the refusal to publish a controversial report, only to confirm that he is not in charge of the council. By STEVEN DOWNES Four days after he was … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
25 Comments
Men who led council to bankruptcy say they did nothing wrong
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tony Newman and Simon Hall, the duo who were in charge at the Town Hall in the months leading to its financial collapse in 2020, have hired a flash, West End PR firm to issue a statement … Continue reading
#PennReport: Hall and Negrini ‘only wanted good news stories’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Richard Penn’s report tells of how the borough’s political leaders had become ‘paranoid’ about Inside Croydon – which one senior councillor noted was filling ‘the communication vacuum’ created by the dysfunctional council. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES In … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre
Tagged #PennReport, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Westfield
4 Comments
#PennReport: Croydon has been let down by political leaders
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The report into the council’s financial collapse that has been withheld for nearly two years includes damning criticisms of some of the council’s most senior staff and political leaders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s dysfunctional council went … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Ofsted, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
3 Comments
#PennReport wanted police probe into possible misconduct
CROYDON IN CRISIS: For nearly two years, the council has withheld a detailed report into ‘possible wrong-doing’ at the Town Hall, together with recommendations for a Met Police investigation and the seeking of a refund on the £437,000 pay-off to … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Crime, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Collective corporate blindness, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, LGA, Lisa Taylor, Local Government Association, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, RIPI, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
19 Comments
4 former council bosses charged by police… as Croydon waits
Investigations into wrongdoing in local government can take many years. A meeting at the Town Hall next week could provide a long-awaited chink of public accountability into the mismanagement – possibly worse – that led to Croydon Council’s financial collapse, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hazel Simmonds, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Joe Anderson, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Labour, Lancashire County Council, Liverpool City Council, Local Government Association, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Penn, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
9 Comments
Bonner replaces Reed’s ‘Bodger’ as Labour right keep tight grip
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the rearranging of the deckchairs after the party’s ship in Croydon has already sunk Carole Bonner, the former councillor and long-time loyalist of the discredited Tony Newman, is the new chair of the Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Carole Bonner, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, David Evans, Fairfield, London-wide issues, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged Amy Fode, Carole Bonner, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Evans, Joel Bodmer, Labour, LCF, Local Campaign Forum, London, London Borough of Croydon, Pearleen Sangha, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
10 Comments
Negrini’s £437,000 pay-off: who is going to pay it back?
Council chiefs, auditors and lawyers are exploring the recovery of the golden handshake paid to the former chief exec, which has caused public outrage since Inside Croydon first revealed the amount. By STEVEN DOWNES The trade magazine for local councils … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Simon Hall, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Simon Hall, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
8 Comments
More Town Hall secrecy as auditors question Negrini’s pay-off
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A behind-closed-doors meeting this morning discussed the Labour leadership’s controversial £437,000 golden handshake to the ex-CEO, and recommendations over the £67m spent on the Fairfield Halls. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Grant Thornton, the council’s official auditors, have … Continue reading
Posted in Callton Young, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Penn, RIPI, Simon Hall, STUART KING, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
8 Comments
Half of Shawcross’ team helped keep Newman in power
CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: There’s probably a reason that Val Shawcross has neglected to publish details of who is working on her very well-funded Mayoral election campaign: it includes seven councillors who helped to bankrupt the borough. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Carole Bonner, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon North, Maddie Henson, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Sherwan Chowdhury, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Carole Bonner, Clive Fraser, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Labour, Maddie Henson, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Stuart Collins, Val Shawcross
8 Comments
Newman and Negrini’s pay-off: no papers, no notes, no reasons
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Last week’s news that former chief exec Jo Negrini’s total reward for failure at the council amounted to an eye-watering £613,000 of tax-payers’ cash raised further questions about how such a payment was agreed and who authorised … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Simon Hall, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, £437000, Conservative, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Simon Hall, Tax Payers Alliance, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Tory
22 Comments
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 2022 Local Elections, 2022 Mayoral election, Addiscombe West, Alison Butler, Bensham Manor, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Forestdale, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor, New Addington, Paul Scott, Purley, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Tory, Waddon
4 Comments
Council admits: We’re on the brink of bankruptcy. Again
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After a fortnight of unconvincing denials from the Fisher’s Folly propaganda bunker and the local Labour Party, official reports released ahead of budget-setting meetings confirm that Croydon could indeed have to issue a second S114 notice. By … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, David Padfield, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon Affordable Housing, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, James Goudie QC, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Ennis, Richard Simpson, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall
8 Comments
Former Corbyn aide Fisher wins local constituency party vote
Andrew Fisher, the Labour Party’s executive director of policy under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, was elected as the chair of the Croydon Central Constituency Labour Party last night. The shock outcome saw him unseat Carole Bonner, the steadfastly loyal Newman numpty. … Continue reading
Labour group’s response to £73m scandal? Sack the auditors!
CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: Having been caught out with another multi-million-pound scandal, the councillors who have been running the Town Hall for the past eight years have now decided to pass the buck to accountants Grant Thornton. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Karen Jewitt, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Hamida Ali, Karen Jewitt, Labour, Paul Scott, RIPI, Sarah Ironmonger, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
7 Comments
£67m fraud at Fairfield: Town Hall row over calling in police
CRISIS SPECIAL: The council’s most senior legal official wants to check the £70m Fairfield fiasco for fraud, but the borough’s Labour councillors don’t want to call in the police, yet their leader says she has already reported it to the … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, College Green, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Felicity Flynn, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, John Jones, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Mott MacDonald, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Labour, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Robert Ward, Sarah Ironmonger, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Tory
24 Comments
Tories miss chance to call for police action over Fairfield fiasco
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest fall-out from the £37m overspend on the arts venue as the borough’s councillors – Tory as well as Labour – appear reluctant to turn their old mates over to the police The council … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, Shifa Mustafa, South Croydon, Tony Newman, Tory
1 Comment
Croydon 2021: Where Eagles care and people power takes hold
DID WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU: In the second part of our review of the year, loyal readers step up to report raptor sightings, there’s the retirement of a much-admired Palace manager, worrying election results for Labour and the council … Continue reading
Posted in 2021 London elections, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace FC, Environment, Housing, Inside Croydon, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Neil Garratt, New Addington North, Patsy Cummings, Planning, Roy Hodgson, Sadiq Khan, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Wildlife, Woodside
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Emma Hope-Fitch, Labour, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, New Addington, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
Leave a comment
Croydon 2021: a tale of lockdowns, let-downs and meltdowns
DID WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU: Croydon entered 2021 as a bankrupt borough, yet there was worse still to come. Inside Croydon has been there, reporting on every twist and turn of events around the cash-strapped council as it entered … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Rachel Flowers, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged #Binmageddon, Alison Butler, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Fransoy Hewitt, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Peter Bingle, Regina Road, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood, STUART KING, Terrapin Group, Tony Newman
4 Comments
Councillors were warned of financial crisis months in advance
CROYDON IN CRISIS: All but one of the borough’s Labour councillors voted that they had ‘confidence’ in Tony Newman and Simon Hall last year – just weeks after they had received a briefing note that told of an £85m budget … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, David Evans, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Evans, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
14 Comments
Now it’s the Fairfield Halls fiasco that gets one in the Eye
Britain’s best-selling satirical fortnightly returns to Croydon’s financial woes – and says police should be called in to investigate deals around unfinished arts centre refurbishment While some citizen bloggers claim to try “to emulate Private Eye”, the professional journalists here … Continue reading
Complaints to regulator over council’s £100m pensions deal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The scandals at Fisher’s Folly surrounding questionable property transactions keep emerging. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s £1.5billion pension fund has been the subject of two complaints to the statutory watchdog, the Pensions Regulator, Inside Croydon has … Continue reading
