Tag Archives: Conservative

37-34: Mayor’s 15% Council Tax hike rejected in budget vote

ANDREW FISHER sat through the three-and-a-half hours of last night’s budget non-setting meeting, so that you didn’t have to Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors voted together last night to reject the budget proposal from the borough’s Conservative Mayor, Jason … Continue reading

Posted in Adele Benson, Andrew Fisher, Andrew Stranack, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, New Addington North, Rowenna Davis, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘You never mentioned 15% tax hike when seeking election’

Tonight, in the Town Hall Chamber, Inside Croydon contributor KEN TOWL, pictured right, presented a petition that opposes the 15% Council Tax hike and calls for fairer funding for the borough. He was, in effect, speaking on behalf of the … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

If council budget fails to pass, expect a long night on Mar 8

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Former senior councillor JERRY FITZPATRICK looks ahead to tomorrow night’s key budget meeting, and previews what could be in store in the Town Hall meeting under an executive Mayor and with the balance of power between the … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

‘Save Our Services’ call as unions join Council Tax protest

The Croydon Trades Council has joined the campaign to stop Mayor Jason Perry’s 15per cent Council Tax hike, and is encouraging council workers and members of all trades unions in the borough to attend tomorrow night’s protest outside the Town … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Croydon TUC, Mayor Jason Perry, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Andrew Pelling, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No Council Tax hike without seeing the assurance panel reports

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Michael Gove is not only permitting the borough’s Tory Mayor to hike Council Tax without a referendum, he is doing so while withholding reports from his own panel of inspectors. Which suggests the government has something to hide … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Kerswell still holds out over Penn Report’s recommendations

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Those with the biggest responsibilities and with statutory duties let the organisation down’ according to the investigation into the council’s financial collapse. The two-year delay in publication appears to have let down the borough’s residents and council … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

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

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

DWP’s £6m ‘poor relief’ highlights deprivation in Croydon

Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor and  part-time business director, who wants to increase everyone’s Council Tax in the borough by a whopping 15per cent, has said today, “I know many families in Croydon are struggling to make ends meet in … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Lambeth Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 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

Say No To 15%: join the campaign protest rally on Mar 1

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Spectacularly useless’ Croydon is ridiculed on Question Time

The parlous state of Croydon Council’s finances, and the chronic incompetence of the people in charge of them, made it on to national television last week. Thursday night’s Question Time on BBC1 broke away from its obsessions with Brexit and … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£81,000 pa Mayor: Croydon is too skint to oppose ULEZ

Jason Perry, Croydon’s Tory Mayor, says that his cash-strapped borough doesn’t have enough money to join the Judicial Review legal action being brought by other outer London boroughs against the expansion later this year of ULEZ – the Ultra Low … Continue reading

Posted in Bexley, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Environment, Health, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Outside Croydon, Sadiq Khan, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Taxing times for Perry as he deploys Negrini as his ‘dead cat’

Try not to get your hopes up too much ahead of next week’s Penn Report meeting, suggests STEVEN DOWNES. The Mayor might be over-promising before under-delivering again Is Jo Negrini being used as a “dead cat” by Croydon Mayor Jason … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Government to write off £540m of council’s debts, as Croydon becomes the Northern Rock of England’s local authorities

Tory minister Michael Gove asked to agree deal that wipes half a billion pounds from council’s mountain of debt After spending months complaining about council’s ‘unsustainable’ debt, Mayor Jason Perry is seeking to borrow another £224m Perry’s 15% Council Tax … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Council’s planners lose multiple cases at appeal and in court

Independent inspectors and judges at the High Court continue to rule against decisions made by Croydon’s planning department. Yet those making these dubious, developer-friendly decisions remain in place Research for Inside Croydon has found at least another 11 planning cases … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Sanderstead, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

The solution to Perry’s finance problem: Fund Croydon Fairly

When a neighbouring London borough, with a smaller population and less deprivation than Croydon, gets £60m more central government funding than Croydon, something is very wrong. ANDREW FISHER on what the borough’s Mayor should really be doing instead of heaping … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Kerswell finally prepares to publish long withheld #PennReport

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s £193,000 per year CEO has descended into the realms of Alice In Blunderland with her latest excuses for ignoring elected councillors and the public. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive, claims that it … Continue reading

Posted in Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Council Tax hike petition’s strongest support in Croydon South

More people in Croydon South have signed the Parliamentary petition opposing Mayor Jason Perry’s 15per cent Council Tax hike than any other constituency in the borough. That’s according to official figures on the parliament.uk website. By noon today the petition, … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mayor to let people’s petition be presented before budget

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘It is clearly in the public interest for this petition to be heard before the budget is set,’ Jason Perry has said, clearing the way for the people’s petition opposing his 15% Council Tax hike to be … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor forced to U-turn over councillor allowances increase

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jason Perry blames council staff for a report recommending a 4.04% increase in allowances for him and the borough’s 70 councillors. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE Just a week after Tory Mayor Jason Perry got … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fixing our ‘home grown’ problems has to start right here

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Having sought government permission to increase Council Tax from April by three times the nationally capped level, Conservative councillor JASON CUMMINGS sets out his reasons why We have all watched with a sense of horror over the last … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Meeting over Council Tax hike over-subscribed within hours

CROYDON IN CRISIS: All places at a public Q&A session about the Tory Mayor’s 15% Council Tax increase were snapped up within hours of being released – even though the council gave the event little publicity. By STEVEN DOWNES An … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Campaign against the 15% Council Tax hike goes national

As the petition to Croydon Council opposing Tory Mayor Jason Perry’s 15per cent Council Tax hike topped 20,000 signatures overnight, the residents’ campaign calling for fairer funding for our borough is going national. The House of Commons, after a little … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments