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Tag Archives: Simon Hall
Complaints to regulator over council’s £100m pensions deal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The scandals at Fisher’s Folly surrounding questionable property transactions keep emerging. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s £1.5billion pension fund has been the subject of two complaints to the statutory watchdog, the Pensions Regulator, Inside Croydon has … Continue reading
Vote swings to Tories could see Labour lose 15 council seats
NOT-SO-SPECIAL ELECTION SPECIAL: The toxic legacy of Tony Newman and his cabal at the Town Hall could see the ex-leader’s former party wiped out if this week’s by-election results are repeated in 2022. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor If Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jade Appleton, Joy Prince, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Louis Carserides, New Addington North, Ola Kolade, Park Hill and Whitgift, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Waddon, Woodside
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jade Appleton, Kenley, Kola Agboola, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Louis Carserides, Mike Bonello, New Addington, Ola Kolade, Park Hill and Whitgift, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory, Woodside
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Spot the difference: Tories go for BNP vote in New Addington
With one week to go until polling day in the borough’s five council by-elections, and Croydon Tories have played their joker. Councillor Scott Roche was out on the streets of New Addington North, one of the wards where a council … Continue reading
BxB’s collapse was predictable. Why did no one else notice?
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It did not take a couple of £800-a-day consultants to spot that Brick by Brick was dragging the council into financial ruin. Reader NICHOLAS PANES’s first piece for this website, the presciently headlined “Building towards the council’s … Continue reading
Seconds out: Round 3! Boxing club gets temporary reprieve
New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, which faced immediate closure at the end of March, has been given a temporary reprieve. Another one. As with most things involving Croydon Council, the outcome is less than satisfactory. One source said today, “If … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Community associations, Duke McKenzie, Felicity Flynn, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Sport
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Duke McKenzie, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington Leisure Centre, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall
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May’s five local by-elections attract total of 28 candidates
There are a total of 28 candidates nominated across five Croydon wards for council by-elections to be held on May 6. The statements of persons nominated were released on Friday afternoon by Katherine Kerswell, the council’s interim chief executive and, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Kenley, New Addington North, Park Hill and Whitgift, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Kenley, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, New Addington North, Park Hill and Whitgift, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Tory, Woodside
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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 Catherine Graham, Croydon, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Green Party, Kenley, Labour, New Addington North, Park Hill and Whitgift, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Tracey Hague, Woodside
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Ali refuses to support Newman and Hall for public office
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Splits in the local Labour Party are deepening as recriminations mount over Tony Newman’s 15 years of misrule. By STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the one-time political protégé of discredited council leader Tony Newman, yesterday refused to offer her … Continue reading
‘Shameless’: public react angrily to councillors’ resignations
CROYDON IN CRISIS: If former councillors Newman and Hall thought they would win over sympathy with their resignation statements, then they made another significant misjudgement. By STEVEN DOWNES Tony Newman and Simon Hall’s efforts to claim victimhood when they announced … Continue reading
Newman and Hall resign as councillors claiming a ‘witchhunt’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Two key figures in the council’s financial collapse claim to be victims of an inaccurate report into their conduct. They might also escape facing any disciplinary action by quitting now. By STEVEN DOWNES Tony Newman, until last … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Fieldway, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, New Addington North, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, Paul Scott, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Woodside
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Budget is approved but Labour council haunted by its past
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Back-to-back meetings yesterday pushed through the paperwork to balance the books and increase Council Tax. But Hamida Ali’s administration cannot shake off its part in the borough’s financial calamity. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor With the £120million … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Andrew Stranack, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Rapid Review, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Tory
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Suspended councillor puts New Addington home up for sale
The cabinet member for finance who helped set-up the failed Brick by Brick project and oversaw the collapse of the council’s finances has registered a new business – as a ‘change manager’ Simon Hall, one of two Croydon councillors suspended … Continue reading
Latest council failure could be knock-out blow for sports club
A successful and popular community sports club in New Addington has been given until the end of this month to pack up its punchbags and other equipment and move out of council-owned premises. The New Addington Amateur Boxing Club has … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Felicity Flynn, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington North, New Addington Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis, Sport
Tagged Croydon Council, Labour, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington Leisure Centre, New Addington North, New Addington South, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Timebridge Centre
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Newman supporters stage takeover of local Labour party
The ‘Starmerisation’ of the Labour Party last week saw supporters of Croydon’s disgraced former council leader rally to his cause. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Friends and supporters of Tony Newman staged a takeover of his local Labour Party last … Continue reading
Posted in Carole Bonner, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, David Evans, David White, Fairfield, Hamida Ali, Jose Joseph, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Alison Butler, Carole Bonner, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Labour, New Addington, Paul Scott, Rob Elliott, Sarah Jones MP, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Viscount Stansgate
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Council starts the biggest fire-sale ever seen in south London
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Last night’s cabinet meeting agreed to flog off 15 sites around the borough, as the council seeks to pay down its £1.5bn debt. But they will struggle to recoup the £35.7m paid for a hotel just three … Continue reading
Newman and Hall are ‘administratively suspended’ by Labour
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Five months after their resignations, two of the key figures in the financial collapse of the council have had their party membership suspended. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Tony Newman, a councillor in Croydon since 1994 and leader … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
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If incompetent directors can be banned, why not councillors?
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Outsourcing giants Carillion went bust three years ago, and now the directors responsible face possible bans from the nation’s boardrooms. Likewise, incompetent councillors should also be barred from public office, says TERRY McCARTHY The news this week that … Continue reading
Whitehall picks McArdle to sort out council’s financial mess
CROYDON IN CRISIS: At Monday’s cabinet meeting, the council leadership repeatedly denied that the appointment of an Improvement Board from Whitehall will amount to a takeover. But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… Tony McArdle, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Schools, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Virgo Fidelis
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Virgo Fidelis, Virgo Fidelis Convent School
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Ali announces Labour U-turn over staging of mayor referendum
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the latest potentially costly change in position performed by the cash-strapped council The council’s Labour leadership today confirmed a massive U-turn on its previous opposition to having a referendum for a directly-elected mayor – … Continue reading
Hard labour: the Croydon Mayor, dodgy deals and bankruptcy
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on a tale from Katharine Street’s history which resonates strongly today New Year may be a time for looking forward, but it can also be most useful for taking a backward glance, perhaps to learn … Continue reading
£30m Fairfield Halls project never went to competitive tender
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Brick by Brick’s management of the refurbishment of the Halls has been subject to disputes with at least two leading contractors £3m grant to build an art gallery was diverted to pay for other work – … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mott MacDonald, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
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MP Reed discovers 20-20 hindsight over council finances
Steve Reed OBE, the Blairite MP for Croydon North, has broken his silence over the collapse of Croydon Council’s finances to make a claim that he had in some way been misled over the state of the bankrupt borough’s books. … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon North, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mario Creatura, Paul Scott, S114, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
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The Audit Report: Newman’s £100m gamble with your money
CROYDON IN CRISIS: There’s growing public demand for some degree of accountability over the council’s financial collapse, and there’s mounting evidence that the former leader of the council and his mates broke rules to push through his pet policies. By … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
7 Comments
Labour agree to hold mayoral referendum in October 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Council leader votes for a ballot that could cost as much as £1m, as agreement is finally reached to listen to the wishes of 20,000 Croydon residents. By STEVEN DOWNES The Labour group which controls Croydon Town Hall has … Continue reading
