Tuesday 28 April. 6.30pm for 7pm. Croydon South Election Hustings
Croydon High School. Old Farleigh Rd, CR2 8YB. Please email any questions in advance to info2@cry-gdst.net
Thursday 14 May. 7.30 pm. Croydon Town Transition Meeting
The Dog & Bull, 24 Surrey Street, CR0 1RG.
Sunday 3 May. 11.30am-1.30pm. Croydon May Day March & Rally
The March: Assemble 11.30am, Elmwood Road, West Croydon, CR0 2PL. Depart by 12.00. March via town centre to a Rally at Ruskin House at 1.30pm.
The Rally: Speakers from the Labour Movement
including; Phillipa Harvey – President NUT (& local teacher).
No to Privatisation of the NHS, Oppose Austerity, Reject TTIP.
Bring your banners, members & family.
The Social Event: Buffet following Rally at Ruskin House. Club Bar: with real ale and soft drinks.
Thornton Heath opposes Paddy Power
Thornton Heath activists are opposing the expansion of bookmakers Paddy Power. See https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/thornton-heath-says-no-to-paddy-power
Taxpayers subsidise 5m workers through low wages
Citizens UK says that the employers of five million workers in the UK are being “subsidised” by the taxpayer. The minimum wage is £6.50 an hour for people over 21, while the living wage calculated by the Living Wage Foundation is £7.85 (£9.15 in London). According to Citizens UK, which organises community campaigns, most of those earning less than the living wage are employed in the retail sector.
How many are in Croydon?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32272817
Right to buy sales increases private landlordism
One third of ex-council homes are now owned by landlords. Multi-millionaire Charles Gow, son of Thatcher Housing Minister Ian Gow, is a buy-to-let landlord who owns over 40 former council flats. ‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.’ So says Tom Pride on the website Pride’s Purge~ an irreverent look at UK politics
Police target Croydon South Class War candidate
Whatever you may think of Class War‘s politics – they have candidates standing at the general election and they have the same right to campaign as any other candidate. So why are up to 12 police officers following and intimidating Class War‘s candidate for Croydon South Jonathan Bigger when he’s handing out election leaflets.’ ‘As Bigger on his blog puts it:
“The message to me seems to be clear. If you’re a Tory candidate, representing a party that is waging a very real class war on ordinary people you get police protection. If you stand for a party called Class War and you oppose the Tory cuts and austerity programme you get police intimidation.“
This is, of course, entirely undemocratic behaviour on the part of Croydon Police – not to mention a complete waste of valuable police time, money and resources. Or perhaps reported crime in Croydon is at 0% and there aren’t any real criminals for Croydon’s police to be out catching?’ (https://tompride.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/police-follow-and-intimidate-election-candidate-handing-out-leaflets)
John Biggar’s blog is at https://tradeonion.wordpress.com
The Completists’ Guide to Croydon
Searchable and categorised directory of the businesses and services available in Croydon. It was built primarily by Kake with help and encouragement of several other Croydon residents. http://croydon.randomness.org.uk
Council stops offices into flats schemes in Town Centre
The Council introduced an Article 4 direction in September last year banning so-called permitted development in part of town centre from September this year. Only a new Communities Secretary following the General Election can stop it. The Council says the aim is to protect town centre office space and ensure it is not lost to sub-standard housing. http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Council-seeks-calm-home-conversion-fears
Croydon rent levels rising too fast
Croydon locals and young professions are close to being priced out of the Borough’s rental market because wages are not rising as fast as rents, estate agents say. Average one-bedroom property is now £800 a month, and 2 beds £1,200.
http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Young-professionals-face-priced-area
Council powerless to halt bookies or pub closures
http://insidecroydon.com/2015/04/11/council-planners-powerless-to-halt-bookies-or-pub-closures
Croydon Opportunity and Fairness Commission to examine rise in homelessness
See homeless children’s experience at
Westfield makes £790m
Westfield has sold an office tower above the Stratford City mall in London for £70 million to Curzon Capital Partners IV fund.
Croydon Discussion
- In praise of politics by Tory Robert Ward on Scrutiny Committee’s review of the private landlord licensing scheme and my comment: http://thecroydoncitizen.com/politics-society/praise-politics
- How I would regenerate Surrey Street market by Andrew Dickenson on http://thecroydoncitizen.com/politics-society/regenerate-surrey-street-market
Anti-incinerator campaigners put heat on Nick Clegg.
http://insidecroydon.com/2015/04/13/nick-clegg-feels-the-heat-from-anti-incinerator-protestors
Sutton Lib Dem Councillor breaks ranks over Incinerator
Meanwhile Sutton Lib Dem Councillor Nick Mattey breaks ranks with his colleagues.
He has ‘been urging Sutton Council to try and see the damage that the proliferation of incinerators in Beddington Lane is doing to the Community and to the Environment. It has been impossible to effect change from within the council. Because of the possible financial repercussions from Viridor, the Council have adopted a siege mentality and are prepared to fight for Viridor to the bitter end.’ ‘(G)iving companies carte blanche to burn hundreds of thousand tonnes of rubbish irrespective of improvements in recycling rates is the height of irresponsibility.’ If the plants go ahead he fears there will be applications for more.
Some Incinerator Facts
- The two waste plants will bring 15 million tonnes of traffic into Beddington Lane in their 25 year life (600,000 per year).
- They will be jointly putting 450 tonnes of oxides of nitrogen per year into the atmosphere.
- Opportunity Sutton Limited is a business set up to make money for the council from selling Viridor’s waste heat.
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