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Category Archives: Jason Cummings
Gove’s funding increases have come too late to save Croydon
London’s precept to add nearly £40 to average bills, as Mayor Perry asks government permission for increase of at least 10% for Croydon’s Council Tax, reports WALTER CRONXITE, political editor After 12 years of Tory austerity, the government has taken … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Section 114 notice
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, GLA, Greater London Authority, Jane West, Jason Cummings, London, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor Sadiq Khan, Michael Gove, Sadiq Khan, Tory
4 Comments
Croydon needs deal that could set precedent for all councils
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A government-appointed inspector, council directors and senior councillors all agree that throwing millions more at the cash-strapped council won’t fix its deep-seated problems. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Tories who control Croydon Town Hall have already done … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Fisher, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged Boris Johnson, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Labour, Liverpool City Council, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Thurrock Council, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Tory
8 Comments
Tory blame game over bankruptcy points finger at Westminster
There was something archly cynical, and deliberately misleading, about how Croydon’s Conservatives turned Tuesday’s announcement of the borough’s bankruptcy into an exercise in political point-scoring. None of which will help the borough’s residents, writes ANDREW FISHER Croydon’s Conservative councillors were … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Fisher, Chris Philp MP, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged Department for Levelling Up, Devon County Council, DLUHC, Hampshire County Council, Jason Cummings, Kent County Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Northamptonshire, S114, Section 114, Slough Council, Thurrock
8 Comments
Perry misses scrutiny meeting on council’s £19.3m overspend
CROYDON IN CRISIS: According to the borough’s part-time Mayor, the council budget is ‘just numbers on paper’. By KEN LEE Part-time Mayor Jason Perry didn’t bother to show up for last night’s scrutiny committee meeting at the Town Hall, where … Continue reading
Mayor makes rapid U-turn as report confirms £19.3m overspend
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A report to be discussed at the Town Hall tonight confirms the deepening financial problems facing the borough’s new Mayor. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE Part-time Mayor Jason Perry has been forced to admit that his Conservative administration … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, Rowenna Davis, S114, Scrutiny and Overview Committee, Section 114, Tory
3 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
Tory government delays finance reports to help Mayor Perry
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It’s almost nine months since Whitehall released the last quarterly report from its Improvement Panel on the state of the cash-strapped council’s finances, prompting accusations of political favours for the Conservatives. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES It’s not … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Department for Levelling Up, Green Party, Greg Clark, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, Michael Gove, Robert Jenrick, Tony McArdle, Tory
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Fairfield: £300k council fraud investigation and still no answers
EXCLUSIVE: Council says its specialist investigators have yet to find anything around the £67m botched refurbishment of the arts centre which needs to be reported to the police. By STEVEN DOWNES An investigation to discover if there was any fraud … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Property, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Kroll, Labour, Robert Ward, Sarah Ironmonger, Tony Newman, Tory
14 Comments
Perry in cover-up of £18m budget overspend in first 100 days
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough’s new Mayor has already overspent on an agreed budget by £20m – but won’t be producing financial reports until next year. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Croydon Council is already £18million over its budget … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Dr Ola Olasode, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, STUART KING, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Tory
10 Comments
Appeal to audit committee chair to demand missing reports
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Is this acceptable?’ Labour leader lists the 9 pieces of detailed financial reporting that were absent from this week’s cabinet papers. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Labour group at Croydon Town Hall has lodged a formal complaint … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Dr Ola Olasode, General Purposes and Audit Committee, GPAC, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, STUART KING, Tory
11 Comments
Tory Mayor wants to keep finances under wraps for 9 months
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on early signs of less accountability at the Town Hall under the Conservative administration Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor, will tonight be accused of “closing down the books” by reducing the frequency of reports on the … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, Improvement Panel, Jason Cummings, Labour, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, STUART KING, Tony McArdle, Tory
5 Comments
Tory quits party over selection for South Croydon safe seat
Our south of the borough correspondent, PEARL LEE, reports on acrimony and manoeuvrings among the Conservatives over their choice of by-election candidate Danielle “Dani” Denton has been selected by the Conservatives as their candidate in the South Croydon ward by-election … Continue reading
£100,000 Mayor Perry unveils his old team as the new team
WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the completely predictable make-up of the borough’s executive Mayor’s first cabinet, and the wheeling and dealing over who will chair the Town Hall’s most influential committees Given that it took nearly five days to count … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Stranack, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Scott Roche, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley
Tagged Andy Stranack, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Jeet Bains, Labour, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Ola Kolade, Planning Committee, Scott Roche, Scrutiny and Overview Committee, Tory, Yvette Hopley
21 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
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Further £38.4m to be sliced from next year’s council budget
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall leadership hoped to keep the latest round of cuts secret until after next week’s referendum, as the consequences of the borough’s bankruptcy start to hit home. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £12m of adult social care … Continue reading
Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, Adult Social Care, Callton Young, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Leisure services, Libraries, Purley Pool, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Callton Young, Conservative, coronavirus, Council budget, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, DEMOC, Democratically Elected Mayor for Croydon, Hamida Ali, Labour, Purley, Purley Pool, Richard Ennis, Save Purley Pool Campaign, Section 114, Steve Reed OBE, STUART KING, Tory
21 Comments
Budget is approved but Labour council haunted by its past
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Back-to-back meetings yesterday pushed through the paperwork to balance the books and increase Council Tax. But Hamida Ali’s administration cannot shake off its part in the borough’s financial calamity. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor With the £120million … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Andrew Stranack, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Rapid Review, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Tory
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Newman presided over ‘shocking bullying’, claims councillor
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Questions have been raised over Labour’s decision not to suspend the former deputy leader of the council, while Town Hall chiefs prepare for a flurry of disciplinary meetings next week Yesterday’s “administrative suspension” of councillors Tony Newman … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Tory
10 Comments
£100m questions on Ali’s ‘transparent, open and honest’ pledge
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the growing row over council secrecy over Brick by Brick and the fire sale of property assets The secrecy over the consequences of the council’s plan to wind-down failed housing developer Brick … Continue reading
Newman wins vote but consigns Labour to election misery
TOWN HALL SKETCH: The borough is in the middle of two crises – the coronavirus pandemic and its own financial mess. Yet last night saw the first full meeting of Croydon Council in almost three months, an ’emergency’ meeting only … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Jeet Bains, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Mario Creatura, New Addington, New Addington Residents' Association, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Addiscombe, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Mayor, New Addington, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
Tories pick Perry as new leader in run-up to local elections
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports as the Town Hall’s opposition Conservatives stage their leadership reshuffle Jason Perry is Croydon’s Conservative opposition’s new leader, elected at a meeting of the borough’s Tory councillors last night. Croydon’s Tories have been enthusiastic … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Tim Pollard
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura, Tim Pollard, Tory
2 Comments
Pollard fires starting gun on race to be Croydon Tories’ leader
EXCLUSIVE: Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, says that the next local election campaign has just begun Croydon’s Conservatives have started a search for a new Town Hall leader after Tim Pollard, who has been in the job since 2014, announced … Continue reading
Only five Croydon Tory councillors listed as ‘Backing Boris’
Croydon Town Hall’s Conservatives are not backing Boris. That’s according to a listing published today by the Boris Johnson leadership campaign which includes just five of Croydon’s 29 Tory councillors, from among 1,000 Conservative elected representatives at local authorities around … Continue reading
