Category Archives: Stuart King
Starmer’s ‘moral compass is broken’ says Labour ex-councillor
EXCLUSIVE: While the borough’s Labour MPs and councillors continue to support the party line on Israeli war crimes in Gaza, one senior member has quit with a highly critical parting shot. By STEVEN DOWNES Robert Canning, an ex-councillor described as … Continue reading
Perry’s Tories opt to send in the heavies to borough’s poorest
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After hiking Council Tax by 15%, the Tory Mayor and his finance chief are now using ‘an in-house army of bailiffs’ to go after residents on benefits who have fallen into arrears. By STEVEN DOWNES While Jason … Continue reading
Jewitt sacked while Newman Numpties scramble back to power
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Lazy’ Clive Fraser and Sean Fitzsimons, long-time loyal supporters of the Labour leadership which crashed the council’s finances, did not have to wait too long before being handed jobs under new(ish) leader Stuart King. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Jewitt says there was no wrong-doing – by her charity’s boss
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Many senior figures in the local Labour Party continue to try to deny that there was anything wrong with the way the former leaders behaved in the lead-up to the borough’s bankruptcy, as a speech at the … Continue reading
Auditors and Government both losing patience with Kerswell
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Judged by the ill-considered political posturing going forward into tonight’s full council meeting, the borough’s Labour councillors haven’t yet worked out who it was that bankrupted the borough. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor The conman is back. … Continue reading
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
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
15% tax hike sends council hurtling into constitutional crisis
ANDREW PELLING on how Mayor Perry faces a humiliating defeat over his controversial first budget because of some less-than-clear legislation, while the borough’s councillors could be in for some very long nights in the Town Hall Chamber Cash-strapped Croydon Council … Continue reading
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
Newman breaks his silence to tell Mail: I did no wrong
CROYDON IN CRISIS: With the Penn Report into possible wrong-doing at the council expected to be released by officials shortly, the former council leader has responded to reports in the national press. By STEVEN DOWNES The Daily Mail today became … Continue reading
Public’s furious reaction to Perry’s Premium Council Tax hike
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Go climb in a skip. No one’s paying that’. Residents’ outrage at Council Tax hike sees demos and petitions planned In the 24 hours since Inside Croydon broke the news of Croydon Mayor Jason Perry’s request to … Continue reading
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
Stripped of powers, absentee councillors still getting paid
CROYDON IN CRISIS: One councillor has turned up for just one meeting in six months. Another has been on holiday in Brazil for the last six weeks. But under the new Mayor, councillors have been left with little to do … Continue reading
Perry LIED to council over Brick by Brick’s ‘stair-less’ house
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Opposition councillors demand an immediate apology and question whether the borough’s credulous Tory Mayor can be trusted. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Officials from Croydon Council have been forced to admit that the Conservative Mayor, Jason Perry, lied … Continue reading
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
Croydon South’s Labour contender gets backing from MP Reed
Will they ever learn? Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest fumbling efforts by the Labour Party to organise a selection process in Croydon The Croydon Labour Party and their bosses at London Region have lost none of their capacity … Continue reading
Mayor condemned for ‘cruel’ treatment of street homeless
When other local authorities are looking to provide ‘warm banks’ for the poor and winter shelters for the homeless, Croydon’s cash-strapped council is seizing vulnerable people’s possessions in their effort to tidy up their swanky offices. By STEVEN DOWNES Tory … Continue reading
#PennReport: No referrals sent to staff’s professional bodies
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Recommendations for action made by auditors, a Local Government Association report and two sets of legal experts have not been acted on by the current CEO. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Confidential legal advice provided to Croydon Council … Continue reading
‘Better than evens’ chance of winning Negrini legal case
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After doing their utmost for almost two years to suppress the findings and recommendations of the Penn Report investigation into the council’s financial collapse, Katherine Kerswell’s blundering local authority managed to publish two confidential legal reports on … Continue reading
Scott and Butler lined up to receive council service award
Councillors who presided over Croydon’s financial ruin could soon be honoured by the very borough they helped bankrupt, thanks to the council’s flawed constitution. By Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE Tony Newman, Alison Butler, Paul Scott, Simon Hall and other … Continue reading
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
70 families evacuated after serious fire in Thornton Heath block
Around 70 families were evacuated from their homes yesterday after a serious fire in Sycamore House, council housing on London Road in Thornton Heath. Five people were taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, though none were thought to … Continue reading
#TheLabourFiles programmes show party ‘corrupt to the core’
A former MP leads a call for those responsible to resign as councillors after failing to report a malicious hack attack to the police. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES A former MP and councillor of 32 years’ service at Croydon Town … Continue reading
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
