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Category Archives: Hamida Ali
Tories club together to agree special service award for Ali
The Mayor of Croydon was elected a year ago on a promise to bring to account those responsible for bankrupting the borough. Tomorrow night he will attend a Town Hall ceremony where one of Newman’s Numpties will be handed an … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Collective corporate blindness, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Tory
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Grey man’s appointment places Gray with Croydon clique
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE delves into the shadowy south London connections that Sue Gray will encounter when she starts work as the Labour leader’s Chief of Staff The grey man of British politics, the terminally boring Keir Starmer, now has … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Evans, Hamida Ali, Lambeth Council, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Evans, Imogen Walker, Keir Starmer, Labour, Morgan McSweeney, Steve Reed OBE, The Campaign Company, Tony Newman
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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 Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Conservatives, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, LTNs, Mayor Jason Perry, S114, Section 114, Tony McArdle, Tory
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#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
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Stuart King, The Penn Report
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Browne Jacobson, CIPFA, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane Mulcahy KC, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Shifa Mustafa, Solicitors Regulation Authority, STUART KING, The Penn Report
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‘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
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Stuart King, The Penn Report
Tagged #PennReport, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane Mulcahy KC, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Shifa Mustafa, STUART KING, The Penn Report
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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
Posted in Alison Butler, Bernadette Khan, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Hamida Ali, Helen Pollard, Mark Watson, Mayor Jason Perry, Pat Clouder, Paul Scott, Paul Smith, Simon Hall, Steve O'Connell, Stuart King, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Alderman, Alderwoman, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Watson, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, STUART KING, Tony Newman
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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 Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Hamida Ali, Manju Shahul Hameed, New Addington, Stuart Collins, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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This is the stark human cost of the borough going bankrupt
CROYDON IN CRISIS: A mum of six children is facing destitution after the council has made her family more than £200 per month worse off by cutting her Council Tax Support and failing to provide its promised hardship scheme. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
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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Secret report into wrong-doing at council still kept under wraps
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Eighteen months after an investigation into how the council’s finances collapsed, the report into the affair – which prompted the resignation of the council leader and four execs – remains unpublished. And the council CEO intends keeping … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
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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 Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Callton Young, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Karen Jewitt, Labour, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Sean Fitzsimons, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Stuart Collins, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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Even the Town Hall meetings don’t work at bankrupt council
In the time-honoured words of EJ Thribb, ‘And so farewell then…’. As many as 35 of the borough’s 70 councillors who were elected in 2018 won’t be Town Hall regulars after the May 5 elections. Political Editor WALTER CONXITE bids … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Hamida Ali, Stephen Mann, Tony Newman
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Conservative, Covid-19, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Hamida Ali, Labour, Stephen Mann, Tony Newman, Tory
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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
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Council names new legal chief as exec churn continues
Our council reporter, PEARL LEE, discovers that the new borough solicitor was, until last month, the director of private property companies Croydon has announced a new, permanent appointee to become the council’s senior legal official. They just don’t seem to … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, John Jones, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tony Newman
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£67m arts centre – with no art gallery and few performances
EXCLUSIVE: The Fairfield Halls fiasco gets worse by the day, with Bournemouth-based venue operators BHLive staging shows on just 24% of available dates. Croydon is supposed to be London’s ‘Borough of Culture’ in 2023… By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon is London’s … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Talawa Theatre Company, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Tony Newman
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One year on, Hamida Ali’s latest apologies on Regina Road
‘To improve the conditions in people’s homes, the tenants have to pay for it… How is that fair?’ ITV News’ DANIEL HEWITT last night broadcast a follow-up to the investigation into conditions in council flats in South Norwood which caused … Continue reading
Council’s Ministry of Truth forced to pull housing press release
CROYDON IN CRISIS: On the first anniversary of the broadcast of the TV news report that shocked the nation, the council has been forced to pull a press release which tried to misrepresent the findings of the independent housing improvement … Continue reading
Pelling set to run as independent for Mayor, and in Waddon
EXCLUSIVE: After 40 years in Croydon politics, councillor decides to run as the ‘non-party’ candidate, offering to axe council rent increases, sack a distrusted council planning director and start a forensic investigation to recover the millions lost on the Fairfield … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Community associations, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Heather Cheesbrough, Planning, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Conservative, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman, Tory, Val Shawcross
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‘It’s an utter joke’: councillors unhappy at selection stitch-ups
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports on the brinkmanship taking place in the local Labour Party over controversial reselections With just seven days left before the official opening of nominations for all candidates for the local elections, there remain two … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, David Evans, Hamida Ali, Maddie Henson, Muhammad Ali, Pat Ryan, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Waddon, Woodside
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Hamida Ali, Labour, Pat Ryan, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory, Woodside
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Brick by Brick boss got paid while setting up own business
CROYDON IN CRISIS: An investigation by this website has discovered that Colm Lacey set up his own personal consultancy company while he was still a paid employee of the council-owned housing developer. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Colm Lacey registered his … Continue reading
Council leader Ali announces she won’t seek re-election in May
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tony Newman’s protégé has changed her mind about standing as a councillor in the forthcoming Town Hall elections. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the leader of Croydon’s cash-strapped, Labour-controlled council since October 2020, is to stand … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Woodside
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Regina Road, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman
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Council looks to second postponement of budget meeting
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall chiefs still trying to negotiate another multi-million-pound government bail-out, with time running out to issue 136,000 Council Tax notices. By STEVEN DOWNES The council is on the brink of crashing into bankruptcy, unable to set … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Tony McArdle
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Michael Gove, Tony McArdle
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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 Alison Butler, Callton Young, Croydon, Croydon Council, Friends of Grangewood Park, Grangewood Park, Heath Lodge, Jo Negrini, Labour, Steve Reed OBE, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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