Recent Comments
Marie Pace on #LocalElections2026: 28 counci… Marie Pace on #LocalElections2026: 28 counci… Marie Pace on #LocalElections2026: 28 counci… Jim Bush on #LocalElections2026: 28 counci… Jim Bush on ‘The vote on the left sp… Brian Finegan on ‘The vote on the left sp…
Tag Archives: Katherine Kerswell
Face-less and word-less: fringe candidates who want your vote
Just who are these people wanting you to entrust them with your precious vote on May 7? As KEN TOWL discovered, some appear very reluctant to let you know who they are, or what they really stand for There’s this … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, Adam Kellett, Donald Speakman, Jose Joseph, London-wide issues, New Addington, New Addington North, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 local elections, Conservative, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Green Party, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Adderley, Mel Mullings, Michael Castle, Nadia Sawalha, New Addington, New Addington North, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Tory, TTIP, Your Party
Leave a comment
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
Labour’s Town Hall leader files complaint over Perry’s spending
Council’s top lawyer questioned over the public funds used to distribute a propaganda freesheet worthy of something from the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports Jason Perry has been accused of abusing his position as Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Stuart King, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fisher's Folly, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor's Question Time, Our Croydon, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tory, Town Hall
14 Comments
No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND
Tagged 2026 council budget, audit and governance committee, Cllr Amy Foster, Cllr Ian Parker, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council budget, Council IT department, Croydon, Croydon Council, Education, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Oracle, SEND, Shelley Davies, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Synergy, Tory
4 Comments
‘Red v Blue’ at Town Hall elections could suffer a Green-wash
Polling day in Croydon’s local elections, including its second mayoral vote, is on May 7. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through recent opinion polls and by-election results, but has a warning from history of how ‘challenger parties’ can be swept … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley North, Shirley South, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Alison Butler, Boris Johnson, Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Cllr Esther Sutton, Cllr Ria Patel, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Green Party, Hannah Spencer, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory, Zack Polanski
7 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
Labour refuse to respond to Cummings’s budget challenge
WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on a sham challenge issued to rival political parties by a borrowing-dependent Conservative administration that is trying to con the public that they have ‘fixed the finances’ As Tory Mayor Jason Perry prepares to deliver what … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Claire Bonham, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged 2026 council budget, 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Stuart King, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Lollipop patrols, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
9 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
Rubbish contractors don’t know how many bins there are
Four years after being caught out ripping out 1,000 street bins – all to make work for rubbish contractors Veolia a bit easier – and now Croydon Council is forced to admit it has no real idea of how many … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged Allders, Andrew Fisher, Coulsdon, Coulsdon banking hub, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Golden handshake, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Kerswell yoghurt, Labour, Litter Free Norbury, Mayor Jason Perry, Pay-off, Surrey Street, Tony Hooker, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Veolia, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
CEO quit council with £50,000 pay-off to not work for 3 months
This was awkward: Jason Perry, the politician who promised to clawback money from the massive golden handshake paid to the previous council CEO, in October found himself overseeing a pay-off to Katherine Kerswell, as she resigned after five years as … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged 000, Allders, Andrew Fisher, £50, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Golden handshake, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Kerswell yoghurt, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Pay-off, Surrey Street, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
The cash-strapped council paying consultant £726 PER HOUR
The dog days of a long, hot summer are not usually a time for significant news stories. But that wasn’t to be the case in Croydon as readers flocked to this news site for our coverage in in July and … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged Adecco, Allders, Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Hammersfield, Ian Dunt, Katherine Kerswell, Kevin Day, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Pool, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
When council boss blocked staff from reading Inside Croydon
Our review of the year’s Croydon news continues with a ecelctic mix of the infuriating and the absurd, as the unelected and unaccountable £204,000 per year public servant at the head of the council looked increasingly all at sea JUNE … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged Allders, Allders Parade, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Pool, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
After 120 years, the Eagles live the dream at Wembley cup final
As we reach the month of May in our review of the biggest and best news stories of the year, there was one report, direct from the National Stadium, that had many Croydon folk walking on air for days afterwards… … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged 2025 FA Cup final, Allders, Allders Parade, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, East Croydon station, FA Cup, FA Cup final, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Gillman, Purley Pool, Roisha Hughes, Selhurst Park, Sutton Council, Tory, Trinity School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
April fool! Plus: school goes co-ed, new owners for old pub
As we continue to sweep through the biggest and most important news stories of 2025, the latest part of our annual news review arrives at the month of the annual Council Tax hike APRIL Trinity boys’ school confirms that it … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged #BridgeToNowhere, Allders, Allders Parade, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, East Croydon station, FA Cup, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Pool, Roisha Hughes, Selhurst Park, Sutton Council, Tory, Trinity School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
2 Comments
Council’s closed doors, Selhurst security, Bridge to Nowhere
Here’s more of the most significant or best-read news stories of 2025, as we delve behind the headlines with Inside Croydon reports from the past 12 months MARCH No Access Croydon: Kerswell closes off Fisher’s Folly to public The increasingly … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged #BridgeToNowhere, Access Croydon, Bernard Weatherill House, Chris Philp MP, Cllr Ria Patel, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Fisher's Folly, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Pool, Purley Pool Towers, Selhurst Park, Sutton Council, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Leave a comment
2025 in review: Purley Pool, porkie pies and a busted budget
As we approach the year’s end, we continue with our review of 2025 by taking a look at some of the Inside Croydon reports which generated most public interest FEBRUARY Croydon In Crisis: budget overspend now close to £100m The … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged #BridgeToNowhere, Chris Philp MP, Cllr Ria Patel, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Hammersfield, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Pool, Purley Pool Towers, Sutton Council, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
1 Comment
That was the year that was: Inside Croydon’s pick of 2025
As we approach the year’s end, here’s the first part of our review of 2025, and a look at some of the Inside Croydon reports which generated most public interest JANUARY 2025 It was the grimmest of starts to the … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon
Tagged #BridgeToNowhere, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Hammerson, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Sutton Council, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Leave a comment
Croydon and 99 other councils may seek government bail-outs
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Latest indications across local government finances are that minister Steve Reed is going to have to provide so much exceptional financial support in 2026 that it won’t be ‘exceptional’ any longer. By STEVEN DOWNES There was a … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, EFS, Exceptional financial support, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Councils, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, The Budget, Tory, Unbalanced budget
3 Comments
That was the year that was – and 2026’s prospects look bleak
ANDREW FISHER, in his final iC column of 2025, considers the past year in Croydon, and how that might affect next May’s Town Hall elections. PLUS: How Your Party’s grassroots are being denied money and data to be able to … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Section 114 notice, Streatham and Croydon North
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Andrew Fisher, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Jeremy Corbyn, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Tory, Your Party, Zack Polanski, Zarah Sultana
1 Comment
This is where ‘Don’t rock the boat’ has become official mantra
CROYDON COMMENTARY: With local elections fast approaching, the national press has been taking a closer look at Croydon. Business owner NITIN MEHTA posted a comment in response to an article in Murdoch-owned The Times, and here expands on his points … Continue reading →
Share this:
Like this: