Croydon Labour Campaigned for Public Toilets as Waddon Candidate Photographed Men Urinating

Labour Leaders: Tony Newman with David Christison in Waddon

The Croydon Labour Party ran a borough-wide campaign calling for the opening of more public toilets, whilst its leading candidate was secretly filming men urinating.

Writing in local newspaper The Croydon Guardian, Councillor Timothy Godfrey who represents the Selhurst Ward claimed, "Labour Councillors in South Norwood worked hard to find an appropriate site and negotiated proper toilet facilities in the Station. Only problem is that Croydon Council have failed to work with the railway company so the toilets remain shut.”

In another campaign, Councillor Pat Ryan raised awareness of public toilet provisions, "There was also a problem with drug users and people loitering about and intimidating others.”

The news comes as Labour’s flagship Waddon candidate David Christison is due to be sentenced at Croydon Magistrates' Court after secretly filming men urinating in the Centrale shopping centre's toilets. David Christison was, until his suspension, one of the Croydon Labour party’s leading political strategists, serving as Secretary of West Thornton and leading the group’s campaign in Waddon where he hoped to become a Councillor.

He is also a close personal friend of Labour Leader Tony Newman who co-launched a campaign to overturn the Waddon election in the High Court after Christison lost by 500 votes. It was subsequently revealed that Christison, who is on benefits, used a legal loophole as a benefits claimant to ensure the election petition was funded entirely by taxpayers, to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds. Tony Newman was then photographed with Christison for the petition in the local newspapers, the pair were dressed smartly in suits.

But Labour will today be facing serious questions about how a man like Christison was able to reach the core of the Labour Party and have such influence over policy in his role in a Senior role as Secretary.

Many see the latest Labour scandal as part of a wider problem in the Labour Group, where under the leadership of Tony Newman, some of the worst and most controversial candidates in living memory have been put forward for marginal seats. 

Croydon Residents Fear Labour 27% Council Tax Bombshell

Hard-pressed residents in the London Borough of Croydon are living in fear of a massive Council Tax rise if the Labour group get in at the Local elections in May. The previous Labour administration increased Council Tax on residents by a whopping 27.3% in a single year, leaving many working households struggling to pay bills and feed their families.

So devastating was the rise on household incomes, that a public petition was launched attracting over 15,000 signatures.

A 27% increase for an average household could cost hundreds of pounds, meaning family summer holidays could be cancelled and leisure time scrapped.

The current Conservative Council has frozen Council tax and even managed to give residents a £25 cash rebate, just in time for the World Cup celebrations. 

Croydon Labour Leader in a Fluster Over Links to Inside Croydon Attack-Blog

Listen: Labour Party Leader questioned over links to Inside Croydon on Croydon Radio

 

Croydon Labour leader Tony Newman was left lost for words over his party’s relationship with notorious attack blog Inside Croydon during a live interview on Croydon Radio’s In the Loop show. The controversial site has made regular personal attacks on Conservative members, including false allegations about Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell, publishing wedding photographs of and repeatedly attacking Croydon’s youngest female Councillor and raising questions over the passport status of a Tory Indian Councillor.

The Inside Croydon site is run by Steven Downes and Labour candidate Andrew Pelling, who was arrested by Police over allegations of assaulting his pregnant wife in 2007. Despite warnings from his Labour colleagues, Labour leader Tony Newman welcomed his friend Mr Pelling into the Labour Party, hailing him as the candidate who can “Put the Fear of God” into people. The unfortunate choice of wording caused much amusement in Conservative circles and stoked fears in the Labour group that Tony Newman had become ‘star struck’ by privately educated Mr Pelling, well-known for his posh accent, charm and ruthless political skills.

Within days of Tony Newman announcing Andrew Pelling as the face of the Croydon Labour campaign for 2014, his ward colleague and campaigner against domestic violence Karen Jewitt was sacked.

A local Tory told the Croydon Gazette, “Tony Newman will never condemn the personal attacks made by his mates at Inside Croydon.  We have already seen the damage this blog has done to our online community and our town’s reputation, just imagine what they could do if they were unleashed in the town hall.”

Listen to In the Loop, hosted by Bieneosa Ebite on Croydon Radio Podcast

Three More Croydon Labour Councillors Lose Seats in ‘Pelling Revolution’



Labour loyalists out, former Tories in

Three Croydon loyal Labour Councillors have been denied a seat, despite many years of service and devotion to the party. The news follows the public humiliation and deselection of popular local Councillor and vocal campaigner against domestic violence Karen Jewitt, a decision which shocked grassroots Labour party members across the country.

Labour members are said to be ‘terrified’ about losing their seats and are keeping quiet about recent developments for fear of upsetting Labour leader Tony Newman. Ms Jewitt’s sacking was communicated to Labour members and the public through Inside Croydon, a blog at which former Tory Andrew Pelling is Special Correspondent. It said she ‘fails to win selection’. 

Labour Values Out? Karen Jewitt has been denied a seat

Last night at the full Council meeting at Croydon town hall, Karen Jewitt, a familiar face in the Labour group and a popular figure even with the Conservatives, was not present. Ms. Jewitt gave her apologies, but local Conservatives tweeted that it was ‘sad’ that she felt she couldn’t attend.

The restructuring of the Labour group has been dubbed ‘The Pelling Revolution’ by local residents. Despite a career as a Tory Councillor, Tory MP and Tory GLA member, Andrew Pelling was selected for the crucial seat of Waddon.

It is widely expected that a Pelling victory in a ward that holds the balance of power will trigger an immediate cabinet promotion.

‘I am not walking away’ says Dumped Labour Councillor Jewitt

Blue Labour: Longstanding Labour Councillors are Being Deselected for Tories in Croydon

A longstanding Labour Councillor, who has served the local Croydon Labour party for nearly two decades, has told a local newspaper that she won’t be walking away. Karen Jewitt, who was seen as Labour’s voice against domestic violence in the borough, was axed from her position in favour of Hamida Ali, from Purley. "I think Hamida was looking for a winnable seat and I was the casualty,” said Jewitt.

Labour leader and former ward colleague Tony Newman heaped praise on Ms. Jewitt but also warned that ‘and there will undoubtedly be one or more very hard decisions made.’ This was seen by local Labour activists as a warning that they could be replaced in favour of new blood, possibly more former Tories.

One decision that wasn’t difficult for Tony Newman was supporting former Tory Andrew Pelling to lead Labour’s Croydon campaign in the marginal ward of Waddon. It is widely expected that if Mr Pelling was to win the seat he would hold the balance of power in the Labour group and be in a good position to become a Cabinet member or even unseat Newman, gaining complete control of the Labour group.