Croydon Milkman Arrested Over Drink Driving Allegations

A milkman from Croydon has been accused of drink driving whilst delivering milk to people in Croydon. Paul Hewlett, 49, of Waddon, is alleged to have been over the legal limit moments after serving children as they left Parish Church Junior School in Warrington Road on Thursday.

A local resident said, “I thought it was funny at first, an ice-cream van being towed away. Then the policeman told me what had happened. It is terrible really."

‘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.

Woodside Summer Fair Ditches Junk food

The Woodside Summer Fair, which takes place on Saturday June 22, will have a ban on sugary sweets and pop. Visitors will be able to enjoy healthy food like salad and fruit instead as part of a health drive. The event will take place at Woodside Primary School.

Denise Turner, chairman of the school's parents' association, said "Everyone likes a treat now and again but we wanted to build on the healthy options we’ve been offering thus far."

Sources organising the event said that ice cream and homemade cakes would be made available.

All Change for Labour: Jewitt Out, Pelling In

Lifelong Labour activist Karen Jewitt has failed to win selection in Woodside, a constituency she has served in for a number of years. The decision was taken by local Labour Party activists and has shocked Croydon’s political community.

The news was enthusiastically tweeted out via Inside Croydon, a blog of which former Tory and now Labour candidate Andrew Pelling is special correspondent.

The Tweet announced that Ms Jewitt ‘fails to win selection.’ It was tweeted at a Guardian journalist and the editor of Labour List, presumably to spread the news as far as possible.

Mr Pelling was announced as the new face of the Labour Party last week, and received solid support from Labour leader Tony Newman, who was until recently a ward colleague of Ms Jewitt.

Labour Select Arrest-Scandal Ex-Tory for Waddon

Andrew Pelling: Waddon's candidate

With a crunch Council election on the cards in 2014, the local Labour group have decided to play a wild card by selecting controversial candidate Andrew Pelling, a former Tory for the Waddon ward.

Welcoming Andrew Pelling’s selection as the candidate in crucial Waddon ward, Labour Leader Tony Newman admitted Mr Pelling was likely to be motivated by revenge.

“(Getting back at the Tories) was probably his initial motivation when he joined the party, but he really has done the groundwork since then,” he said.

But Conservative Council leader Mike Fisher said, “As it is, I know a number of people in the Labour group are deeply wary of Andrew.”

Pelling hit the headlines after working as a city banker whilst on paid sick leave from the House of Commons.

The Conservatives withdrew the Tory whip from Andrew Pelling over allegations he assaulted his wife Lucy, who was pregnant at the time. He was not charged. His ex-wife made a number of other allegations about Mr Pelling in the local press about his opinion of Croydon voters.

The Labour Party welcomed him into the party in 2011.

Hopley Appointed as Croydon’s New Mayor

Last night Croydon citizens were informed that the new Mayor through 2013-2014 will be Yvette Hopley, a Councillor in Sanderstead.

Speaking with journalists as she donned the historic ceremonial robes, Ms Hopley said that it was a "great honour and great privilege" to be appointed as the borough’s first citizen.

Speaking to the audience at the ceremony last night, Hopley said, "It is a great honour and a great privilege to stand before you here as Mayor of Croydon. It is the largest London borough and I am extremely proud to be the borough's first citizen.”

She continued, "Turning to the future, as a council and councillors we have been through difficult times and I know we have had to make some very difficult and challenging decision but I do feel confident we have a great future here in Croydon.”

Hopley succeeds the borough’s current Mayor Eddy Arram.

Croydon MPs Line UP to Back Gay Marriage

Croydon's united gay marriage front

As Westminster prepares for another vote on the gay marriage Bill this week, The Croydon Gazette takes a look behind the scenes at the debate that is dividing parties and communities across the country but represented on a united level of support from Croydon’s three MPs.

There have been resignations; claims of mass fallouts within political parties and with church leaders, but Croydon’s senior elected officials have chosen a united front on gay marriage. What’s most interesting about this approach is that it is proactive rather than reactive, with the MPs in question actively building public support for the legislation by appearing on radio and TV shows to promote the benefits it can bring to society.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed has been a public advocate of the legislation, "For gay men like me, young and coming to terms with their sexuality, things were difficult," he said in an interview with gay community news site Pink News.

Writing on his public blog, Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell said, “Many of the people who object most strongly to same sex marriage are also the most passionate advocates of marriage as a force for good in our society. If marriage is such a good thing, why wouldn't we want to extend it to same sex couples?"

Croydon South MP Richard Ottoway claimed that he had received over 200 letters on the issue, some making some very significant and passionate points which swayed him to officially announce he was publicly in support of the legislation in January this year.

It is indeed rare that three leading politicians from different political parties should come together and agree and promote an issue such as this. But with three leaders dominating the media headlines for their support of gay marriage, the borough of Croydon is sending out a tolerant and gay friendly message to London and the rest of the country.