Category Archives: Callton Young

Kerswell condemns councils’ accountability as inadequate

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Yesterday’s meeting of the cash-strapped council’s disciplinary committee may have committed Croydon to tens of thousands of pounds of additional legal costs, with no guarantee of any success in the cases which might eventually be brought. And … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Councillors agree to chase Negrini for golden handshake cash

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The same committee which met in August 2020 to agree the £437,000 payment to the departing CEO today decided to ignore the advice of senior lawyers and spend more council cash in trying to recover the pay-off. … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Patricia Hay-Justice, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

You can depend on Croydon Labour: they always let you down

By STEVEN DOWNES, Editor, Inside Croydon In the end, it was all so sadly predictable. Yet even old cynics didn’t believe it was really going to happen in such a swift and shabby manner until they actually saw it all … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Jane West, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Patricia Hay-Justice, Ria Patel, Stuart King, Tamar Nwafor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

And here are the Labour councillors who broke their word over the 15% tax hike and abandoned the people of Croydon

STUART KING. Leader of the opposition Councillor King took over as Labour group leader in May 2022. Had spent previous eight years mostly holding senior positions, including cabinet posts, in the Labour council administration of Tony Newman, Alison Butler and … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Brigitte Graham, Callton Young, Catherine Wilson, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Humayun Kabir, Humayun Kabir, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, Mohammed Islam, Nina Degrads, Patricia Hay-Justice, Patsy Cummings, Sean Fitzsimons, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tamar Nwafor, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Newman’s defence slips: there’s ‘no evidence’ of wrongdoing

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The latest in-depth coverage of the borough’s bankruptcy by a national newspaper sees the former Labour council leader dump blame on his erstwhile colleagues. By STEVEN DOWNES The council leader who oversaw Town Hall meetings and gatherings … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Clive Fraser, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Manju Shahul Hameed, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

£540m debt write-off shows Perry has failed on finances

CROYDON IN CRISIS: His political opponents say the elected Mayor ‘has sold Croydon down the river for his own political reasons’, and his 15% tax hike is ‘punishment’ for residents. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s council has been so “spectacularly useless” … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Conservative Mayor Perry loses 3 votes at Town Hall meeting

ANDREW PELLING reports from the Press Gallery on success for Labour, Green and LibDem councillors in opposing Tory moves to cut Council Tax benefits to old age pensioners and the poor Jason Perry, the Conservative Mayor of Croydon, lost three … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Andrew Pelling, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, Nina Degrads, Rowenna Davis, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stuart King, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Local Labour out of step as Streeting calls for outsourcing

Labour councillors in Croydon joined a union-organised march calling for Mayday Hospital’s ancillary jobs – porters, cleaners and food staff – to be brought back in-house and taken out of the hands of private outsourcing giant G4S, just as Keir … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Chris Clark, Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Mayday Hospital, Sarah Jones MP, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council has lost £130m from its pension fund under Perry

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Conservative Mayor, with help from the local Tory MP, has overseen a disastrous few months for the borough’s finances. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor The Croydon Council pension fund has had £130million wiped from its value since … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Callton Young, Chris Philp MP, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Tories accuse Labour of ‘shocking mistakes’ over budgets

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry has made a political play with the  Conservative government in an effort to re-set the council’s finances. Again. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Croydon’s Conservatives were quick to play the blame game this morning … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Thornton Heath’s landmark Clocktower left gutted by fire

A Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade investigation is underway after a fire in the Thornton Heath Clocktower gutted the local landmark. The fire took place in the early hours of this morning. Despite prompt arrival by the Brigade, the … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, History, London Fire Brigade, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

All the King’s men (and women): meet Labour’s shadow cabinet

Last week, we provided the low-down on the new council cabinet under £81,000 per year Tory executive Mayor Jason Perry. Now our Town Hall reporter KEN LEE provides a briefing on the newly unveiled shadow team Some are born great, … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Alisa Flemming, Bensham Manor, Brigitte Graham, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Enid Mollyneaux, Fairfield, Jamie Audsley, Janet Campbell, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, New Addington, Nina Degrads, Rowenna Davis, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

King ends front-bench sinecures for most Newman numpties

CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: Starmer and Evans are using this borough as an experiment in central party control over rogue councils. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE And there you have it. The 2022 local government definition of a non-job, … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Brigitte Graham, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Enid Mollyneaux, Janet Campbell, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, Nina Degrads, Patricia Hay-Justice, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Planning, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King, Tony Newman, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

King gets Labour leadership, but delays over cabinet posts

CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the latest horse-trading going on behind the scenes among the largest political group at the Town Hall Croydon Labour made such a mess of the council’s finances, the authority now has … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Janet Campbell, Kola Agboola, Louis Carserides, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mohammed Islam, New Addington, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Labour’s Town Hall group in rush to crown King as new leader

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the latest behind-the-scenes moves by some of those who helped bankrupt the council The Labour group at the council, now reduced to 34 councillors, is moving swiftly to anoint Stuart King as their new leader. … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Hamida Ali, Joy Prince, Manju Shahul Hameed, Paul Scott, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mayor candidate Shawcross’s ‘new’ direction not so new at all

Any ‘clean break’ with the incompetence and graft of the past at Croydon Town Hall that is being offered by Labour Mayoral candidate Val Shawcross appears doomed by her own campaign’s deep-rooted connections with discredited Tony Newman and some of … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Business, Callton Young, Children's Services, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Fly tipping, Hamida Ali, Humayun Kabir, Karen Jewitt, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Meals on Wheels, Planning, Refuse collection, Sarah Jones MP, Schools, Sean Fitzsimons, SEND, Sherwan Chowdhury, Steve Reed MP, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Labour axed Meals on Wheels service to save just £24,000

EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Labour-run council will save the grand total of £24,000 per year by cutting its Meals on Wheels service to hundreds of vulnerable and elderly residents, Inside Croydon has discovered. As reported exclusively by this website … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Callton Young, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, Janet Campbell, Meals on Wheels, Stuart King, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council admits its phone system hasn’t worked for years

After almost eight years in charge of the borough, Croydon’s Labour leadership has finally admitted what thousands of residents have been saying throughout their time in office: the council’s phone system is not fit for purpose. “The council provides essential … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Capita, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Going, going… Labour council flogs off parkland for £600,000

The toxic legacy of Alison Butler, Hamida Ali, Tony Newman and the rest of his numpties was hammered home this morning, with an auctioneer’s gavel. Heath Lodge, the long-neglected park keeper’s cottage in Grangewood Park, Thornton Heath, was sold by … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Business, Callton Young, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Grangewood Park, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Karen Jewitt, Pat Clouder, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

MP Reed’s letter to save park lodge ignored by Labour council

The campaign by the Friends of Grangewood Park to save a Victorian park keeper’s lodge from being sold by the cash-strapped council has attracted the support of the local MP. But even Steve Reed OBE doesn’t get replies to his … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon parks, Friends of Grangewood Park, Karen Jewitt, Pat Clouder, Property, Steve Reed MP, Thornton Heath, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Council’s tax benefit cuts are ‘Dickensian’ and ‘discriminatory’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Now the council’s discredited leadership has the gall to claim that 80% of the borough’s residents support their arse-covering move to cut benefits from the poor, the disabled and elderly. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Labour-run council has … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Scrooge-like council shuts voluntary food hub at Christmas

While dozens of voluntary groups and community organisations have been doing their bit to help the borough’s most vulnerable through the second pandemic Christmas, budget cuts at cash-strapped Croydon Council have seen their own voluntary sector organisation forced to shut … Continue reading

Posted in Callton Young, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, CVA, Hamida Ali, Steve Phaure | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shawcross selected with 76.5% of local Labour Party vote

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the inevitable outcome of Labour’s highly controlling mayoral selection process Val Shawcross has been selected as Labour’s candidate in the Croydon Mayoral contest next May, after polling 76.5 per cent of the vote. The laborious … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Callton Young, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Shawcross Redemption: coming back to fix Croydon

Val Shawcross has spent her life in public service – a charity worker, then New Addington councillor and Croydon council leader in the 1990s; London Assembly member for nearly 20 years; London’s deputy mayor at City Hall in the 2010s; … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Callton Young, Jason Perry, Ken Livingstone, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, No1 Croydon, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments