Tag Archives: Steve Reed OBE

Perry begs for another £119m to balance his busted budget

Croydon’s Conservative Mayor, who has hiked Council Tax by 33% since 2023, still needs another £119m government bail-out to make his council budget balance. By STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry, Croydon’s Conservative Mayor, has got his begging bowl out again to … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Farage and Tories in calls for MP Reed to resign as minister

It’s a case of Foxtrot Oscar for CLP chair Harman, as his former boss comes under increasing pressure over his role with Labour Together and his ‘deeply unprofessional and possibly unlawful’ handling of local elections. On the fifth anniversary of … Continue reading

Posted in Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Campaign petition is challenge to south London councillors

Environmental campaigners in Sutton have launched a petition in an 11th-hour effort to persuade the Environment Agency to refuse Viridor’s request to be allowed to burn hundreds of thousands of tonnes more waste at their incinerator at Beddington Lane. Inside … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Minister Reed buckles under lobbying for ‘feudal’ landlords

BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, on how an election promise to scrap ground rents for leaseholders has been watered down to something which now won’t take full effect until the year 2066 Groups representing leaseholders and renters have accused the Labour … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London-wide issues, Property, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘If you think parks are protected, think again’ says CPRE report

Despite receiving £23m in grants for the up-keep of Croydon’s parks, only eight of the council’s 127 open spaces have Green Flag status. GIANELLA A BASILE looks over a new report which details more than 50 green spaces under threat … Continue reading

Posted in Ashburton Park, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Gianella A Basile, Heathfield House, Housing, Lambeth Council, Lloyd Park, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Norwood Grove, Refuse collection, Ria Patel, Steve Reed MP, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

EA set to allow Viridor to burn more toxic waste at Beddington

Sutton Council is accused of ‘hoisting the white flag’ after latest acidic air emissions, as a multi-billion American-owned business seems set to be allowed to pump even more pollution into the south London atmosphere. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES  Local councillors … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Bobby Dean, Broad Green, Business, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Steve Reed MP, Sutton Council, Tim Foster, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Starmer visits Ikea Croydon – but not to assemble new cabinet

Keir Starmer, the son of a tool-maker, managed a quick, and secretive, visit to Ikea in Croydon this morning. It was suggested that he may have been looking for a new cabinet, because the one he’s got in Downing Street … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon East, Croydon West, Natasha Irons, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Reed’s loyal Streatham SPAD gets transferred into No10

Political Editor WALTER CRONXITE on a Whitehall transfer which may have considerable significance Steve Reed, the MP for Streatham (and Croydon North if he can be bothered), who has been implicated in spying on his colleague councillors in Lambeth and … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Mike Bonello, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP Reed spent Christmas tweeting link to Inside Croydon

Housing minister’s attack against the Green Party leader may have back-fired, as the cabinet member flagged up reports linking him to the unlawful hacking of this website. By STEVEN DOWNES The illegal hacking of this website in 2021 has been … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Greens, Inside Croydon, Lambeth Council, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP Jones putting her Croydon constituents on remote control

A Croydon MP who receives almost £200,000 per year, to pay for aides and a constituency office, has her phone staffed for just four hours each week. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on how at least one of Croydon’s well-funded MPs … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour government to give Croydon £120m funding boost

Multiple-year settlements for councils in England and an end to the postcode lottery that has been local authority funding from Whitehall, as £78bn is allocated in effort to ‘end deprivation’. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council will receive an extra £40million … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Finance chief leaves council three months sooner than planned

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Weeks after the abrupt departure of CEO Katherine Kerswell with a £50,000 ‘farewell present’, the early exit of head of finance Jane West prompts speculation that she has become the latest council boss to receive a generous … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Ian Golland, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Kristian Aspinall, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Build, baby! Build! 626 flats in Mitcham and none ‘affordable’

Housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on a developer-friendly decision which might yet set the trend for all of London This is what you get when you “Build, baby! Build!” Merton Council has granted planning approval for 626 homes on the Mitcham … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Housing, London-wide issues, Merton, Mitcham, Property, Steve Reed MP, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Reed confirms council funding formula will favour Croydon

#FUNDCROYDONFAIRLY: Government announces it will re-set its system for deciding grants to local government and, at last, cash-strapped Croydon might receive a fairer share. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Labour government has today announced that it is to scrap “outdated … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Reed orders MPs to vote against environmental protections

Labour government is ignoring scientific advice on the risks posed by proposals in their new Bill, while senior ministers have been cosying up to lobbyists for developers, reports PAUL LUSHION, our environment correspondent  Croydon MP Steve Reed, the former environment … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon parks, Croydon West, Environment, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Time is running out to help protect Croydon’s open spaces

The London Wildlife Trust is celebrating the successful reintroduction of a species to a site in Croydon – while also calling on all residents to lobby their MPs over the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is due for a crucial … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon parks, Croydon South, Croydon West, Environment, Hutchinson's Bank, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exits and pay-offs: our news panel goes behind the headlines

The latest golden goodbye for a departing council CEO, the terrible state of even new flats around central Croydon, Westfield and the Allders kiosks, and what looks like the hot ticket for Christmas entertainment – all get discussed on our … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2017 General Election, Allders, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Under The Flyover, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Nobody thought having two Surrey councils was a good idea

CROYDON (AND SURREY) COMMENTARY: By a stroke of Steve Reed’s ministerial pen, one part of Surrey is to have just 20 councillors to represent 160,000 people. For SHASHA KHAN, pictured right, that is ‘a devastating attack on our representative democracy’ … Continue reading

Posted in East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Outside Croydon, Reigate and Banstead Council, Shasha Khan, Steve Reed MP, Surrey, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Reed approves Surrey county council split and £500m write-off

Bankrupt Woking to get an unprecedented debt write-off from government, but new West Surrey Council to be burdened with £4.5bn of borrowing from Day 1 in 2027 Twelve local authorities in Surrey, including Tandridge, Epsom and Ewell and Reigate and … Continue reading

Posted in East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Outside Croydon, Reigate and Banstead Council, Steve Reed MP, Surrey, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How MP Reed used antisemitism to discredit Labour rivals

The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney and the Crisis of British Democracy, by Paul Holden, has already been a deeply impactful book which has claimed the scalp of Downing Street’s director of strategy and, quite plausibly, No10’s director of communications, … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Inside Croydon, Steve Reed MP, The Andrew Fisher Interview, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘We live in a danger zone’: locals call for action on speeding

Residents in Upper Norwood staged a protest this week to demand urgent action from Mayor Jason Perry and Croydon Council to tackle dangerous speeding on their road, where police have confirmed some cars are driven at almost three times the … Continue reading

Posted in Commuting, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Policing, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Private developers and landlords won’t fix our housing crisis

CROYDON COMMENTARY: ‘Abolish Landlords’ was a catchphrase at the recent Green Party conference, where it was recognised that correcting decades of failed housing policy will need a raft of solutions. PAUL AINSCOUGH explains At the Green Party annual conference, a … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Housing, Paul Ainscough, Peter Underwood, Planning, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Auditors issue Perry with warning over ‘unsustainable’ finances

The council’s emergency borrowing since 2019 will top £1billion within three years, according to a highly critical report from auditors Grant Thornton, as they show Croydon’s Mayor the local authority equivalent of a yellow card. By our Town Hall reporter, … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

MPs told that Croydon flats are example of how not to build

The appalling conditions in ‘luxury apartments’ in new-build flats at The Fold, opposite Croydon Town Hall, were raised with a House of Commons select committee hearing yesterday Leading housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa cited The Fold in central Croydon as an … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Property, Queens Gardens, Steve Reed MP, Taberner House, The Fold | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Fraud: how Reed’s Labour spied on Croydon councillors

Three years ago, Al Jazeera broadcast a series of films, called The Labour Files, based on information gleaned from one of the biggest data leaks in history. One episode was devoted to events that took place in Croydon in early … Continue reading

Posted in 2017 General Election, 2024 General Election, Alison Butler, Clive Fraser, David Evans, Hamida Ali, Inside Croydon, Paul Scott, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments