Tag Archives: Ria Patel

King gets his bluff called over Tory cuts and Council Tax hike

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It was déjà vu all over again at last night’s budget meeting, where ‘steadfast’ opposition melted as soon as the borough’s opposition councillors were given a stern talking to. TOWN HALL SKETCH by STEVEN DOWNES Anyone out … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cummings’ budget rejected before his big Newsnight moment

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The government has just found £2.5bn in ‘exceptional financial support’ for 19 councils. But Mayor Jason Perry and his finance chief have an anxious week after having had their unbalanced budget rejected in a Town Hall meeting. … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Chris Philp MP, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

It’s time for our elected councillors to stand up for Croydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Saddled with £1.4bn of ‘toxic’ debt, Mayor Perry has been rendered paralysed in his management of the cash-strapped council’s finances. Ahead of tonight’s budget meeting, ANDREW PELLING outlines some of the options for the borough’s politicians There’s … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Council needs a better plan to help refugees arriving here

CROYDON COMMENTARY: After organising a vigil at Lunar House last night, Councillor RIA PATEL says that this borough needs more help from Whitehall to deal with a homelessness crisis being created by Government Last week in Parliament, the Prime Minister … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Patel is out to save the planet, taking one small step at a time

There’s been a lot going on for Ria Patel in the past year or so. Aged 20, she’s been in her final year of her degree course at King’s College while in her first year as a Green Party councillor. … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Green councillor criticises lack of action over climate crisis

Four years since the council established a commission to report on the environmental threats, its recommendations have not been implemeted, according to Cllr Ria Patel. By LOUISA GAUTREY Ria Patel, the leader of the Greens at Croydon Town Hall, has … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Fairfield, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor’s lazy, complacent answer shows all our rights at risk

CROYDON COMMENTARY: According to Mayor Perry, there’s no equalities issues at the council because he’s had no complaints. Fairfield councillor RIA PATEL says that on LGBT+ issues, that is untrue I love how wonderfully diverse the population of Croydon is. … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Underwood makes the ‘Green slate’ of candidates for London

Peter Underwood has been selected as the Green Party’s candidate for the Croydon and Sutton super-constituency at next May’s London Assembly elections. Underwood stood for the Green Party in last year’s Croydon Mayor contest, and has been a regular on … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Croydon Greens, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Neil Garratt, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Greens and LibDems to be given seats at scrutiny committees

Tonight’s scrutiny committee meeting will also see significant changes in approach, and a small crack appearing in the granite-like control of power held by Croydon’s political duopoly, reports WALTER CRONXITE More than two years after the slum-like conditions in Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Housing, Leila Ben-Hassel, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Perry has no plan to improve our borough’s toxic air pollution

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The borough’s Conservative Mayor, Jason Perry, is failing to protect the health of Croydon residents, says Councillor RIA PATEL (pictured left) We all know that Mayor Jason Perry has been very vocal about opposing ULEZ, the Ultra-Low Emission … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Fairfield, Health, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Call for Tory Mayor to resign after Government’s takeover

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Reaction to yesterday’s Government announcement that the Whitehall-appointed improvement panel will effectively take over the running of the cash-strapped council has met with near-universal criticism There have been calls for Jason Perry to resign as Mayor after … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Only three councillors were as good as their word and stood up for the people against Tory Mayor Perry’s 15% Council Tax hike

In the end, after hours of bluster and posturing, just three of the borough’s 70 councillors stood up for the residents that they represent and were as good as their word, voting against the Conservative Mayor’s budget and his 15per … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Green councillors tell Gove: Don’t make our residents pay for ‘a decade of bad decisions, dodgy deals and secret contracts’

Croydon’s Green Party councillors have issued an 11th-hour plea to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for him to withdraw permission for Croydon’s Tory Mayor, Jason Perry, to impose a punitive 15per cent Council Tax hike on the ordinary people of … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Voters looking for third parties’ assurance over reds and blues

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Opinion polls suggest that the Tories should have no chance of electoral success in this borough. But as WALTER CRONXITE outlines in this second part of a special report, ‘the Croydon effect’ of the Newman years has … Continue reading

Posted in Ben Taylor, Claire Bonham, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon North, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Town centre PSPO will just drive problems out to the suburbs

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The Conservative Mayor’s proposals for a new Public Space Protection Order in the town centre will just displace anti-social behaviour, while failing to help the targets of the on-the-spot fines, says RIA PATEL, pictured left, a Green Party … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Community associations, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Pubs, Ria Patel, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Election results leave Labour supporters angry and dismayed

With the final declaration in, WALTER CRONXITE reports on the state of the council after the 2022 elections By the end, the emotions on show at the Croydon Council election count at Trinity School were less those of shock, disappointment … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Broad Green, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Coulsdon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jade Appleton, Jason Perry, Katherine Kerswell, Kola Agboola, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Planning, Robert Canning, Sanderstead, Selhurst, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Tony Pearson, Val Shawcross, Waddon, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Time to end borough’s ‘lazy’ political duopoly say Greens

Voters at next month’s council by-elections are being encouraged to end the Town Hall’s unfunny double act, reports WALTER CRONXITE, political editor The Green Party has accused the political duopoly which dominates Croydon politics of becoming “lazy”, with Tories and … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Hamida Ali, Housing, Kenley, New Addington North, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Tracey Hague, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments