Category Archives: Alisa Flemming

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Best Start centres under threat again from Flemming’s survey

Our council reporter, PEARL LEE, on the latest stitch-up survey being rushed through as a ruse to justify cuts to services for babies and toddlers Here comes another council “survey” where the information scraped from residents will be used to … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Health, Norbury Park, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council axes its annual grant to flagship Legacy Youth Zone

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest casualty of the council’s financial mismanagement The Legacy Youth Zone, a flagship development of Tony Newman’s Labour council, built with £3.25million capital investment from the Town Hall, is to … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Business, Callton Young, Charity, Children's Services, Crime, Croydon Council, Knife crime, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Youth Services | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Audsley has nowhere to run after Labour selection stitch-up

The insular and inward-looking local Labour Party is limping towards the finish line of a foregone conclusion, weeks after the Tories and Greens began campaigning to get their candidates elected as Croydon Mayor. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Labour’s laborious selection … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Croydon North, Croydon South, Jamie Audsley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Manju Shahul Hameed, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cabinet member Lewis is cut adrift by New Addington selection

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A leading Newman Numpty was effectively deselected last night, as he and ceremonial deputy mayor failed even to make it on to his ward’s candidates shortlist; meanwhile, chaos in Norbury Park when Labour organisers book too small … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon North, Fairfield, Felicity Flynn, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jose Joseph, Kola Agboola, Louisa Woodley, Mary Croos, New Addington, New Addington North, Norbury Park, Oliver Lewis, Patricia Hay-Justice, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shawcross leads the way in first Labour Mayor nominations

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on a night of embarrassing snubs for the three Newman’s numpties who are seeking selection to be their party’s candidate in next year’s mayoral election Val Shawcross last night stormed to a decisive victory at the … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Croydon Central, Jamie Audsley, Manju Shahul Hameed, Sarah Jones MP, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Newman backers say they want to be Labour’s Mayor candidate

Next week marks one year since the council was forced to declare itself effectively bankrupt. For some senior Labour councillors, it’s almost as if they played no part in the borough’s financial collapse. By STEVEN DOWNES Three members of Tony … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Jason Perry, Manju Shahul Hameed, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour to pick their Mayor candidate just in time for Christmas

EXCLUSIVE: Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reveals how Labour is giving potential mayoral candidates barely a week to put themselves forward for a selection process which appears to have Steve Reed’s fingerprints all over it Anyone wanting to be considered as … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alisa Flemming, Carole Bonner, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Jason Perry, Leila Ben-Hassel, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Flemming forced to drop plan to close two children’s centres

The council has been forced to back down from cost-cutting proposals, including closures, that will have impacted thousands of the borough’s children and the families. The council wanted to reduce its spend on its Best Start Children’s Centres by £1million … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Health, Purley Oaks, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ofsted discover ‘worrying signs’ of cuts on children’s services

Inspectors from Ofsted have warned that some of the borough’s most vulnerable children may be put at greater risk as a consequence of cuts and redundancies caused by the council’s financial collapse. Ofsted inspectors last month carried out their latest … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Volunteer self-funds kids’ summer club after council delays

EXCLUSIVE by SANJANA IDNANI A community volunteer in West Croydon has been left thousands of pounds out of pocket because of delays by the council in handing over a promised government grant towards the costs of running a children’s summer … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Charity, Children's Services, Community associations, Croydon Council, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

£1m cuts to children’s centres aimed at south of borough

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The cash-strapped council waited until the week after the London elections and local by-elections to reveal its latest plans for swingeing cuts to children’s services. PAUL WADDELL, right, says residents ought not allow this to happen without a … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Education, Health, Purley Oaks, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Schools | Leave a comment

Vote swings to Tories could see Labour lose 15 council seats

NOT-SO-SPECIAL ELECTION SPECIAL: The toxic legacy of Tony Newman and his cabal at the Town Hall could see the ex-leader’s former party wiped out if this week’s by-election results are repeated in 2022. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor If Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jade Appleton, Joy Prince, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Louis Carserides, New Addington North, Ola Kolade, Park Hill and Whitgift, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council ‘too quick to pass the buck’ over child abuse claims

Local Government Ombudsman orders Croydon to conduct an audit of child sexual abuse cases going back three years, after the authority’s response to a draft report ‘suggests wider systemic issues’ Croydon’s children’s services department may have “systemic” errors, according to … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The cuts: Fisher’s Folly to be sold and 3-weekly bin collections

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The problem facing Croydon Council as it seeks to balance its books is that, after a decade of Tory austerity, there’s precious little left to cut. STEVEN DOWNES reports The frustration with the slow pace of progress … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Alisa Flemming, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Refuse collection, Report in the Public Interest, Schools, Section 114 notice, Timothy Godfrey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

King’s peers crown him Croydon Labour’s new deputy leader

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The alarm signals over the electoral fate of the Town Hall, and perhaps even the Croydon Central marginal parliamentary seat, saw the borough’s Labour councillors given a stern lecture last night. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Stuart … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Leila Ben-Hassel, Manju Shahul Hameed, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ben-Hassel joins contest to become council deputy leader

‘We can’t do business as usual’ says rookie councillor looking to make an impression, writes KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter Leila Ben-Hassel, a Croydon councillor only since March 2019, last night announced herself as a fourth contender to become … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Hamida Ali, Leila Ben-Hassel, Manju Shahul Hameed, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Three in the running to replace Butler as Labour deputy leader

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the latest part of the break-up of Tony Newman’s ‘dream team’ Alison Butler has resigned as the deputy leader of the council’s Labour group, triggering another internal party election, which is … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Hamida Ali, Manju Shahul Hameed, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

New leader Ali is set to confront ‘shocking’ council finances

CROYDON IN CRISIS: After winning a Labour group selection battle by 22 votes to 19 over Alisa Flemming, Hamida Ali tells her supporters ‘the hardest graft ever is about to start’. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Hamida Ali has no … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Hamida Ali, Ian Parker, Knife crime, Mayor of London, Paul Scott, Sadiq Khan, Sarah Jones MP, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘None of the above’: 47% reject puppet leadership candidates

WALTER CRONXITE on an expression of public opinion that should be a cause of grave concern for whoever becomes Croydon Labour’s new Town Hall leader tonight Nearly half of Inside Croydon readers in an online poll published yesterday preferred “None … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Newman ally Ali tipped as favourite to be council’s new leader

WALTER CRONXITE on the lacklustre contest among Labour councillors to become the Town Hall’s new chief Croydon Council should have a new leader as soon as tomorrow night. But the appointment looks as if it could present the borough with … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Children's Services, Crime, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Paul Scott, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

£800 per day exec director job goes to ‘naughty step’ Jones

The Tower Hamlets council official who was in charge of that borough’s schools when Shamima Begum and two other girls were radicalised and escaped to Syria to become “jihadi brides” has just been appointed by Croydon as the borough’s interim … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Robert Henderson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘No longer viable’: council sounds death knell for Virgo Fidelis

Education correspondent GENE BRODIE on the impending closure of another, once proud and successful, secondary school Croydon Council’s ability to run down long-established church schools to the point of closure continues, while at the same time they have been lavishing … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Schools, Simon Hall, Virgo Fidelis | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Brick by Brick claim building on green space is ‘sustainable’

If there was any doubt of the contempt in which the residents of this borough are held by the six-figure salaried executives at Brick by Brick and their paymasters at Croydon Council, then one need only look at the back-slapping … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Norbury Park, Planning, Sherwan Chowdhury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments