Tag Archives: Angela Rayner

‘Wake up’ call from Croydon MP as she backs PM ‘Uncle Keir’

As health secretary Wes Streeting considers resigning from government, possibly triggering a leadership challenge, Steve Reed, Sarah Jones and Natasha Irons are backing Starmer “Uncle” Keir Starmer is clinging on to the job of Prime Minister, probably grateful for the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon East, Croydon West, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Minister Reed buckles under lobbying for ‘feudal’ landlords

BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, on how an election promise to scrap ground rents for leaseholders has been watered down to something which now won’t take full effect until the year 2066 Groups representing leaseholders and renters have accused the Labour … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London-wide issues, Property, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

After the riots, survey finds we are not an ‘island of strangers’

Have we really lost our sense of community? Or are we all just people separated by our mobile devices? Our columnist ANDREW FISHER, right, looks at some interesting data from a piece of academic research PLUS: Jeremy Corbyn stands up … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Community associations, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Libraries, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Devolution Bill tries to fix Pickles Tories made of local councils

Among the multi-layered answers to “how did we get in this mess?” over Croydon’s, and other local authorities’, financial crises, Big Eric Pickles and his 2011 Localism Act goes a long way to explaining how Town Halls across England and … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Holland, Croydon Council, London Councils, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor coming under pressure to sack council CEO Kerswell

EXCLUSIVE: With no real solution in sight, and the appointment of government Commissioners getting ever closer, sending patronising memos to Whitehall seeking to blame everyone but herself probably wasn’t the shrewdest move by the £204,000 per year council chief. By … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Poor Perry shuffles his papers but can’t find any answers

TOWN HALL SKETCH: At the first council cabinet meeting for three months, Croydon’s Tory Mayor stamped his feet and screamed in self-pity, and then admitted that he can’t fix the finances. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Jason Perry stood up, … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Leila Ben-Hassel, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

‘Solution to restoring sustainability lies outside our control’

Here is the full text of Mayor Jason Perry’s letter to Secretary of State Angela Rayner, in response to the announcement that the government is ‘minded’ to send in Commissioners to manage Croydon’s ‘runaway’ finances I am writing in response … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Crisis? What crisis? Perry ducks emergency Town Hall meeting

EXCLUSIVE:  Council bosses push back opposition calls for an urgent meeting to debate the government announcement about installing Commissioners to run the borough’s affairs. By STEVEN DOWNES Crisis? What crisis? Croydon’s Mayor Jason Perry won’t allow any emergency discussion at … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Ministry planning one-year stay in Croydon for Commissioners

EXCLUSIVE: Buried in the avalanche of emergency documents issued around the government’s statement on the mismanagement of the council was a timetable for the proposed intervention. By STEVEN DOWNES Commissioners could be in place in Croydon for less than a … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Croydon’s finances are not sustainable warns council chief

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Ahead of tonight’s Council Tax-setting meeting, an exec director says the authority cannot continue by borrowing more, with overspends likely to rise to more than £200m by 2028. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE Jason “Fix … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Plans submitted for 288 homes on Norbury sports ground

Housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, looks at a planning application for a £75m scheme that the developers hoped you might never notice What do you mean, you had no idea that there have been plans submitted for a massive development of … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Merton, Nicola Townsend, Norbury, Norbury Park, Planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Suited and booted: Norbury Alli’s donations and No10 access

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, profiles the former Stanley Tech pupil who has risen to become a millionaire media mogul and the Labour Party’s biggest donor The clue is in his Lordship’s title. But the “Free Gear Keir” cronyism storm was … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Harris Academy South Norwood, Norbury, Schools, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Councils on the brink: union in plea to Rayner over crisis

There’s a £4billion black hole in council finances, warns one of Britain’s biggest trades unions – and that’s before the latest budget-busting £42million overspend by Croydon’s cash-strapped council is taken into consideration. Unison, which represents hundreds of thousands of council … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dear Angela: It’s time for you to act and fund Croydon fairly

Last month, the Croydon Mayor wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister begging for an urgent meeting to resolve the council’s long-standing financial problems after 14 years of Tory austerity. Angela Rayner did not reply. So now ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Minister McMahon snubs Croydon Mayor over ‘urgent’ meeting

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Keir Starmer’s new government seems in no rush to deal with the deep-seated problems caused by 14 years of austerity inflicted on local councils, as Jason Perry’s plea for an urgent meeting is given a cold shoulder … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

London’s social housing is worth £6.9bn to national economy

A group representing London’s largest housing associations reckons that social homes in the capital contribute nearly £6.9billion per year to the national economy. The G15 group said that the failure to address the capital’s housing crisis, “exacerbated by political uncertainty … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment