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Tag Archives: Val Shawcross
Pat Ryan’s excess: veteran’s generous grants left unquestioned
The culture of secrecy and cover-ups in Croydon Labour meant that one councillor never did face any scrutiny over his misuse of thousands of pounds of public money to resurface a private road and to pay for equipment in a … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Nina Degrads, Pat Ryan, Stephen Mann, Steve Reed MP, Val Shawcross
Tagged Christine Spooner, Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Labour, Nina Degrads, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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Labour’s purge continues prompting more activists to leave
Even as the packed hall at hustings in Park Hill on Thursday night was being told by one of the Mayoral candidates in next month’s elections that Labour’s “main activity is expelling each other”, Inside Croydon was receiving news of … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Central, David White, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
Tagged Carole Bonner, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Momentum, Jeff Conibear, Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer, Labour, Marc Wadsworth, Momentum, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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‘Any would be better for Croydon than the old strong leader’
With a month until election day, hustings for the borough’s first-ever Mayoral contest are coming thick and fast. KEN TOWL went along to last night’s event held in Park Hill, so that you didn’t have to… Val Shawcross really ought … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Jason Perry, Ken Towl, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Val Shawcross
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, DEMOC, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Green Party, Jason Perry, Ken Towl, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Tony Newman, Tory, Val Shawcross
16 Comments
Are you local? Tories seek distance from party-goer Boris
Conservatives in Croydon, hungry for power, are beginning to see the Prime Minister as an electoral liability. By political editor WALTER CRONXITE With election day in one month’s time, Croydon Conservatives, having been first to pick their Mayoral candidate and … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Bromley Council, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Ellie Reeves MP, Jason Perry, Lambeth Council, South Croydon, Sutton Council, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
Tagged Akshata Murthy, Boris Johnson, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Jason Perry, Labour, Rishi Sunak, Tory, Val Shawcross
14 Comments
Croydon’s less-than-magnificent 8: Winston’s back for more
There’s quirkiness and eccentricity among some of the candidates to become the borough’s first executive Mayor, as well as some who perhaps are not quite what they claim to be. Editor STEVEN DOWNES on the confirmed candidates list for May … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Val Shawcross
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Andrew Pelling, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Farah London, Gavin Palmer, Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Val Shawcross, Winston McKenzie
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Battle to win the narrative sees a fight for 17% ‘don’t knows’
With a little more than a month before the Town Hall elections, ANDREW FISHER, pictured left, sifts through the shifting opinion polls, nationally and across London, to see what we can learn about how people might vote in Croydon Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, London-wide issues, Sarah Jones MP, South Croydon, Val Shawcross
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, Labour, Mike Fisher, Sarah Jones MP, Tory, Val Shawcross
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Pelling set to run as independent for Mayor, and in Waddon
EXCLUSIVE: After 40 years in Croydon politics, councillor decides to run as the ‘non-party’ candidate, offering to axe council rent increases, sack a distrusted council planning director and start a forensic investigation to recover the millions lost on the Fairfield … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Community associations, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Heather Cheesbrough, Planning, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Conservative, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman, Tory, Val Shawcross
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No apology from candidate for abusive and homophobic tweets
CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: Slack diligence by the Local Campaign Forum missed vile racial slurs, sexist language and homophobic abuse on a wannabe councillor’s social media account. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The committee that is supposed to be running Labour’s … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Elliott-Jay Munroop, Ramaraj Rajagopal, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Val Shawcross
Tagged Carole Bonner, Croydon, Elliott-Jay Munroop, Joel Bodmer, Labour, LCF, Local Campaign Forum, Nuala O'Neill, Ramaraj Rajagopal, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Val Shawcross
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Cash-strapped council bankrupt of ideas for borough’s parks
Our environment correspondent, PAUL LUSHION, on the council’s latest blatant attempt to off-load its public responsibilities The council has what it calls its “Parks and Green Spaces Renewal Strategy 2022-2025”, which they say outlines “plans to support the borough’s cherished … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Crystal Palace Park, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Lloyd Park, Muhammad Ali, Planning, Val Shawcross, Veolia, Waddon
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Parks Service, Val Shawcross, Waddon
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Perry’s council seat ‘at risk’ as Labour take 30% poll lead
LOCAL ELECTIONS 2022: Opinions polls and bookmakers both suggest Croydon Tories could fail to win back control of the Town Hall, despite the borough’s bankruptcy under Labour. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Jason Perry, the leader of the Conservative … Continue reading
Tory budget amendment looks to reopen Purley Pool for £3m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The disparity in provision of leisure facilities between the north and south of the borough has sent mayoral candidates trying to make a budget splash. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor The Tory opposition group at the Town … Continue reading
Going, going… Labour council flogs off parkland for £600,000
The toxic legacy of Alison Butler, Hamida Ali, Tony Newman and the rest of his numpties was hammered home this morning, with an auctioneer’s gavel. Heath Lodge, the long-neglected park keeper’s cottage in Grangewood Park, Thornton Heath, was sold by … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Business, Callton Young, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Grangewood Park, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Karen Jewitt, Pat Clouder, Thornton Heath
Tagged Alison Butler, Callton Young, Croydon, Croydon Council, Friends of Grangewood Park, Grangewood Park, Heath Lodge, Jo Negrini, Labour, Steve Reed OBE, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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London Mayor joins critics of ‘unlawful’ Local Plan review
‘Ludicrous’, ‘grotesque’ and ‘vandalism’ are some of the milder rebukes aimed at the council’s planning department’s latest piece of developer-friendly work. And now Sadiq Khan has joined the critics, while a Tory MP is threatening a Judicial Review. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Local Plan, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Tory, Val Shawcross, Waddon
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TfL says Croydon Flyover is in need of urgent safety works
The Croydon Flyover could soon be assessed as in a state of dangerous disrepair and closed to traffic because Transport for London does not have the money required to carry out urgent repairs that are required. That’s according to a … Continue reading
Whitgift Estate is at risk from ‘a short-termist act of vandalism’
VAL SHAWCROSS, Labour’s candidate for Mayor, has entered the row over the Local Plan review, opposing the proposed intensification and warning that something beautiful within the character of Croydon could be lost Following a recent visit to the Whitgift Estate … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Park Hill and Whitgift, Planning, Property, Val Shawcross
Tagged Croydon Local Plan, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill and Whitgift Estate, Val Shawcross, Whitgift Estate
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Lewis is given another £1.3m to spend on Fairfield Halls
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Somehow, our cash-strapped council has managed to find a spare million to hand to the under-performing operators of the town centre’s arts venue, thanks to the recommendation of a new employee of The Campaign Company. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading
Posted in BH Live, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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Toxic legacy that could destroy borough’s character forever
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The council is running a consultation (another one), this time over its proposals to increase the amount of housing intensification it will allow across the borough. ANITA SMITH shares her concerns about the changes to the Local Plan … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, Planning, Val Shawcross
Tagged Anita Smith, Councillor Jason Perry, Croydon Council, Croydon Local Plan, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Park Hill and Whitgift Estate, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Whitgift Estate, Whitgift Foundation
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Sorry saga when asking questions was called ‘troublemaking’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Those found responsible for the £67.5m shambles of a refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls should not be allowed to get away ‘scot-free’, says ANDREW PELLING Once they are elected on May 5, Croydon’s new executive Mayor needs … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman, Waddon
Tagged Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
18 Comments
Council got £70m Fairfield Halls refurb wrong from the start
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It was ‘insane’ to grant a licence to Brick by Brick for the refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls, and that led to the £70m ‘shitshow’. Mayoral candidate VAL SHAWCROSS responds to the auditors’ Report In The Public … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Val Shawcross
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Val Shawcross
4 Comments
The Buck stops here: Labour campaign disarray after fixer quits
CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: The party’s local organiser has quit his job just months before council elections after a row over how much backing to give to Val Shawcross’s Mayoral campaign. And there’s only a short-term plan for a replacement. … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Central, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Jack Buck, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross
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De-selected councillor Pelling: ‘This is damaging my health’
CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: The target of an anti-democratic disciplinary process has made it clear that his party’s pursuit of him is damaging him, while further de-selections of council candidates are threatened. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Andrew Pelling, the Labour … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Joel Bodmer, Labour, Local Campaign Forum, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Waddon
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Shawcross selected with 76.5% of local Labour Party vote
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the inevitable outcome of Labour’s highly controlling mayoral selection process Val Shawcross has been selected as Labour’s candidate in the Croydon Mayoral contest next May, after polling 76.5 per cent of the vote. The laborious … Continue reading
