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Tag Archives: Elaine Jackson
That’s ACE! Gaskell the latest to join council’s growing 200 club
Cash-strapped Croydon now has at least three execs, two of them interims, being paid at rates of £200,000 per year or more. But someone in Mayor Jason Perry’s council is trying to keep the latest appointment a secret. EXCLUSIVE by … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Jackson, Section 114 notice, Stephen Gaskell
Tagged Camden Council, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Interim assistant chief executive, Interims, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Jackson, Tory
3 Comments
Exposed: New CEO’s role in Norfolk’s £30m incinerator scandal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Did Mayor Perry’s appointments committee bother to conduct a full background check into the employment record of the man they have just handed the council’s top job and £1,500 per day pay? A big Croydon welcome to … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Jackson, Section 114 notice
Tagged Bernard Weatherill House, Chief executive officer, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Fisher's Folly, incinerator, Interiim chief executive, Katherine Kerswell, Kings Lynn, Kings Lynn incinerator, London Borough of Croydon, Mike Jackson, Norfolk, Norfolk County Council, Tory
8 Comments
£1,500 per day for bankrupt council’s third CEO in 10 months
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The propaganda department at cash-strapped Croydon Council waited until just before 6pm to sneak out the announcement of its latest interim chief exec. What they failed to mention is that Mike Jackson, who is to be … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Katherine Kerswell, Mike Jackson, Section 114 notice
Tagged Chief executive officer, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Interiim chief executive, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mike Jackson, Tory
5 Comments
£275,000: Loadsamoney Perry breaks the bank for new CEO
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the council faces having to replace its interim CEO with an interim interim CEO, the Mayor splashes the cash to try to find someone for what he calls ‘London’s most important leadership role’ Recruitment ads for … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Nathan Elvery, Section 114 notice
Tagged CEO, Chief executive officer, Commisssioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Nathan Elvery, Tory
7 Comments
Do you recognise your council as described in the CEO job ad?
CROYDON IN CRISIS In the recruitment ad, are the Commissioners seeking a competent and experienced civic administrator with more than the charisma of a dead fish for the role of council chief executive? Or are they looking for a knight … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Nathan Elvery, Section 114 notice
Tagged CEO, Chief executive officer, Commisssioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Nathan Elvery, Tory
7 Comments
Jackson fires starting pistol in the race for council’s top job
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The omnishambles council is looking for its third chief exec in the space of nine months, with the challenge for the borough’s failed Mayor of finding anyone willing to work with him. By STEVEN DOWNES Elaine Jackson, … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
1 Comment
Just the job! Council hands £200,000 finance chief role to Hall
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the rushed recruitment of a Commissioner-approved appointee to a permanent role in Fisher’s Folly, helped with £30,000 in ‘danger money’ Croydon’s cash-strapped council under Tory Mayor Jason Perry is still able to find enough … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands
Tagged Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Labour, Leipzig, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 151 officer
2 Comments
Vote count delays raise ‘real concerns’ over ballot security
EXCLUSIVE: A three-day election count, and a pause between the polls closing tonight and ballot verification tomorrow morning, has raised serious questions over arrangements for the count, which is taking place at the Fairfield Halls. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Ballot verification, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Election count, Fairfield Halls, London Borough of Croydon, Returning Officer
14 Comments
Council’s £166,000 assistant CEO quits Croydon after 8 weeks
More problems with recruitment and retention at the cash-strapped council as the woman tipped for top job heads for the exit. KEN LEE reports Jenny Rowlands, who was hired in February as the council’s £166,000 per year assistant chief executive, … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged Camden Council, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Interim assistant chief executive, Interims, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
7 Comments
Croydon’s rewards for failure laid bare in Town Hall Rich List
Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive who issued three Section 114 notices of effective bankruptcy during her time in charge at the council, was taking home salary and pensions totalling £223,838 in the year before she left Fisher’s Folly. Yet Kerswell … Continue reading
Posted in Annette McPartland, Bromley Council, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Helen Bailey, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Southwark Council, Susmita Sen, Sutton Council
Tagged Ade Adetosoye, Althea Loderick, Annette McPartland, Bromley Council, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Helen Bailey, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lambeth council, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Simpson, Section 151 officer, Southwark Council, Susmita Sen, Sutton Council, Tax Payers Alliance, Town Hall Rich List, TPA
10 Comments
Council rushes through £200,000 finance job ahead of elections
Government-appointed Commissioners are pushing through the appointment of a new finance director at the Town Hall – regardless of who might become Croydon’s new Mayor. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council, which has debts of £1.4billion, is about to hire … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Annette McPartland, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Susmita Sen
Tagged Annette McPartland, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Corporate Director of Resources, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 151 officer, Susmita Sen
3 Comments
Commissioners: council lacks focus and robust delivery plans
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government releases report critical of the lack of progress and slow pace of improvements in finances under Tory Mayor Jason Perry. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Six weeks out from the local elections, the government has published … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory
8 Comments
Whatever could they mean? Commissioners call for ‘honesty’
In what is overall a highly critical report from the government-appointed Commissioners after six months working closely with the council run by successive chief execs Katherine Kerswell (until she left in October with a £50,000 pay-off) and Elaine Jackson, and … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioners, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory
4 Comments
£84,000 per year Tory Mayor approves his own pay rise
EXCLUSIVE: It’s trebles all-round for directors at Croydon’s cash-strapped council, as there’s a second generous pay rise in 12 months for council chiefs, while allowances paid to councillors are also to rise, and amount to £1.6m per year. Yet long-suffering … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, SEND
Tagged 2026 council budget, 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Budget, Capitalisation direction, Cllr Scott Roche, Commissioners, Conservative, Council budget, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, EFS, Elaine Jackson, Exceptional financial support, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S114, S114 notice, Section 114 Notice, Tony Newman, Tory
3 Comments
Budget-buster Perry hires another six-figure salaried ‘interim’
KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter, on the latest £150,000 per year staff signing by Croydon’s bankrupt council Jason Perry, Croydon’s £84,000 per year executive Mayor who has closed four public libraries to save money and axed lollipop road safety … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jenny Rowlands, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged Camden Council, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Georgia Gould, Interim assistant chief executive, Interims, Jenny Rowlands, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
13 Comments
More churn at the top as interim directors leave the council
The rapid turnover among senior staff at Fisher’s Folly suggests that the ‘leadership issues’ which were in-part responsible for Commissioners being sent in to run Croydon Council may continue to be a problem for those left behind after Katherine Kerswell’s … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Heather Cheesbrough, Karen Agbabiaka, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Nazeya Hussain, Nick Hibberd, Section 114 notice, Venetia Reid-Baptiste
Tagged Chris Wortley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Nazeya Hussain, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tony Ralph, Tory, Venetia Reid-Baptiste
13 Comments
Jackson agrees to stand-in after Kerswell’s abrupt departure
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council’s assistant CEO forced to cancel retirement plans in order to fill in for her former boss, who is being given a £50,000 pay-off for not working her notice period. By STEVEN DOWNES Elaine Jackson has been … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
14 Comments
Now Kerswell’s deputy CEO joins the rush for council exits
EXCLUSIVE: To lose one of her trusted inner circle might be unfortunate for Croydon chief exec Katherine Kerswell, but to lose two is beginning to look like an exodus. By STEVEN DOWNES Elaine Jackson, the senior council executive who Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jane West, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
8 Comments
CEO Kerswell ordered block on staff accessing Inside Croydon
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Sinister’ and ‘pathetic’ are how some council figures have described the council’s internet ban on this website. A FoI request has unearthed details of how the £204,000 pa CEO has been spending her time pursuing her own … Continue reading
‘Mayor and CEO are respected and provide strong leadership’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Like a dodgy business that offers to pay for positive reviews on Tripadviser, the council has been patting itself on the back this week because some local government colleagues have said some nice things about them. By … Continue reading
Posted in Annette McPartland, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report
Tagged Annette McPartland, Conservative, Corporate Peer Challenge, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, LGA, Local Government Association, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Plant, Section 114 Notice, Stiles Harold Williams
19 Comments
Council chief Kerswell has doubled up on £140,000+ executives
CROYDON IN CRISIS: While more than 400 frontline jobs have been axed since 2020, the executive suite in Fisher’s Folly has barely been touched. But the council CEO is spending even more on ‘cost-cutting’ consultants. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Katherine … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Corporate directors, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Executive directors, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Regina Road, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
Wanted: ‘storyteller’ to spin CEO Kerswell’s recruitment binge
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘History,’ said Marx (Karl, not Groucho), ‘repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.’ At our cash-strapped council, we appear to have arrived at the farcical stage. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES How good is your “story-telling”? £50,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Corporate directors, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Executive directors, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Regina Road, Tony Newman, Tory
8 Comments
