The meeting itself descended into chaos when it had to be adjourned for an hour while Council lawyers checked the legality of the budget. Labour Councillors had raised the question of whether it was published within the time limits provided for within the constitution and despite the late night ruling, many people consider that doubts remain over whether it could be subject to legal challenge through a judicial review.

Councillor Tony Newman, Leader of the Labour Group said: “On Monday night we witnessed the sickening spectacle of Tory Councillors applauding and cheering as they voted through their draconian budget cuts. Cuts that will hit youth services, the voluntary sector and other frontline services hard. Despite all this they refused to back Labour’s plans to support all of Croydon’s libraries.”

He added: “This is a sad day for Croydon and Tory Councillors should be ashamed of themselves. They had the chance to back Labour’s plans but they rejected that opportunity and now they will personally have to answer to the people of Croydon for every cut they have made. Labour gave them the opportunity to support an alternative budget, but like sheep they voted with their discredited leadership.”

During the speeches on the night, Tory Councillors Tony Pearson and Tony Harris voted in favour of the cuts despite expressing privately that cutting the youth clubs was not the right thing to do. If they and other Tory Councillors had had the courage to support Labour’s alternative budget that would have ensured the future of Timebridge Youth Club and the New Addington Pop In and other valuable services. Sadly they decided to put politics above the needs of the people they represent.

Councillor Kellett went on to suggest that Black History Month was a waste of money. Labour Councillors are demanding that Councillor Kellett and the Croydon Conservative Party issue an immediate apology for the above statement which has already caused outrage across Croydon’s Communities.

Labour’s Communities & Equalities Spokesperson Councillor Louisa Woodley said: “This was a premeditated comment from Councillor Kellett and he clearly showed his true feelings. Croydon is one of the most diverse boroughs in London and very much proud of that fact. We as Labour Councillors are equally proud of the contribution Croydon’s Black Community has made and the fact that together we celebrate both black culture and history. Councillor Kellett must withdraw this comment and apologise or he should seriously consider his position.”

Upper Norwood Councillor Alisa Flemming said: “I am both disappointed and shocked by Councillor Kellett’s statement. The black and many other communities within Croydon and across the UK deserve recognition for all the work they have put into making this country what it is today. We have just marked Armistice Day and we should not forget the many black men and women who died to protect our way of life. Surely, the celebration of black history once a year is not too much to ask for?”

Councillor Flemming added: “If these are the views of Councillor Kellett, can he really represent the black residents within his ward fairly and without bias?”

The figures contained in the report show that it is the most popular youth club in the Borough with one of the lowest costs and yet it is targeted for closure. It is also one of the only centres to provide for 8 to 12 year olds as well as the more common 13 to 19 year old sessions.

This comes hot on the heels of the attacks on the elderly who will be losing their sheltered housing wardens despite the outcome of the consultation making it clear that residents wanted to keep them.

Councillor Carole Bonner said: “This youth club is very popular and is valued by the young people who use it and their parents. There are dedicated staff who do a fantastic job. They provide a safe and stimulating environment and parents know that their children will be safe. Without this, young people will have nowhere to go and this is bound to lead to more problems in New Addington, especially in the school holidays as another element of this plan is for the Council to stop providing holiday play schemes. It just seems to me that this Tory Council does not care about our young people.”

Councillor Simon Hall added: “This Tory Council is showing a total disregard for the people of New Addington generally and Fieldway in particular. It will have a terrible, immediate impact and will store up serious problems for the future. It puts the whole future of Timebridge in jeopardy. Without the youth clubs it is likely that other groups will be left homeless such as the pre-school nursery, the boxing club and Centre of Change Project to name a few. All of these are very well used and there is also a chance that the skateboard park, recently installed, might have to close.”

Local Councillors are launching a petition today to try and make this Tory Council reconsider these proposals and recognize that with the number of young people in New Addington that there is a need for two youth centres.

These proposals are contained in a report that will be considered at the Corporate Services Committee on 30 June. This committee has a majority of Tory Councillors so even if Labour Councillors object they will be outvoted.

This proposal is particularly hypocritical, coming as it does at precisely the moment that the Tory Prime Minister has said that “we are all in this together”. Clearly Cllr Fisher thinks that does not apply to him. Croydon’s Labour Councillors are demanding Cllr Fisher changes his mind, shows some leadership and refuses to accept the pay hike.

Cllr Tony Newman, Leader of the Labour Group said: “For Councillor Fisher to have his snout in the trough and be seeking to pay himself this outrageous amount at the same time as his government’s policies and cuts are seeing so many council staff set to lose their jobs is frankly disgusting. He should be ashamed of himself. He is treating taxpayers, Council staff and the people of Croydon with contempt.”

These are serious issues that were not raised before the election and yet Cllr Fisher would not allow debate on these plans. This is an affront to democracy in Croydon and gives yet another example of the arrogance they are showing. In addition they have gerrymandered Labour representation on committees so that they can shut down any debate on the vicious cuts that have been hidden from the taxpayers of Croydon.

At a time when there are serious choices to be made in Croydon, Cllr Fisher continues to sound like a broken record, claiming nothing is his fault or responsibility, and the rest of the Cabinet are like sheep who blindly follow his lead. He fails to take responsibility for ploughing on with the expensive and unwanted new Tory Council HQ at a time when he is proposing to sell our low paid Council staff down the river.

Cllr Tony Newman, Labour Group Leader said: “Labour were proved right when we said that Croydon Business needed to be brought back under the control of the Council; Labour was proved right when we said that the money spent on Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers would be better used paying for extra police officers; and we will be proved right when the true costs of the Tory Council HQ come to light.

He added: “Before the election made it very clear how we would fund our commitments. We stand by that and call on this discredited Tory Council to get rid of consultants before they sack loyal, low paid council employees; to immediately scrap the Council newspaper delivered to every home; and to do what they should have done immediately after the election and make strong representations to their government to challenge the raw deal that Croydon has received in government funding. It cannot be right that Croydon takes the biggest hit, in terms of cuts, across the whole of London.

“It is only Labour that is coming forward with positive proposals and people are listening to us. Everyone knows that times are tough and we have been talking to sensible members of the Tory Group who agree with Labour’s plans to save jobs and services in Croydon.

HEADLINE CUTS:
* £2.97 Million from Education.
* £169,000 from Supporting People.
* £1.943 Million from LEGI programme – business and jobs funding.
* £18,000 from Community Cohesion.
* £38,000 from Home Office programme.

Labour Opposition Leader Councillor Tony Newman said: “We are demanding answers, why have Croydon Tories failed to stand up for Croydon and defend us from these brutal cuts, for years they claimed if we had a Tory Government Croydon would get ‘fairer funding’ that is clearly not true.”

“We are today calling for the spending on the expensive new luxury Council HQ to be halted and will be launching a petition to present to Downing Street to demand the Tory Government stops targeting Croydon.”

Labour’s Deputy Leader Councillor Alison Butler added: “Croydon Tories inherited a golden legacy of funding from the last Labour Government, to have seen how they have wasted and squandered this money has been deeply upsetting, but for the current Council Leader Mike Fisher to allow our Town to have been attacked in this way by his own Tory Government simply beggars belief. Croydon now more than ever needs Councillors prepared to defend it, something Councillor Fisher has clearly failed to do.”

On 6 May 2010 there was chaos at polling stations in Croydon with lengthy queues spilling down the streets from as early as 5.00pm. There is also clear evidence that across the borough polling stations were understaffed and ill equipped to deal with the increased turnout, the delays led many people especially the elderly to lose their right to vote and many others being turned away as the 10.00pm deadline approached.

Leader of the Labour Opposition, Councillor Tony Newman said: “People across Croydon have lost their right to vote because of inadequate election planning. As things stand the public have also lost the benefit of Labour’s pledges to deliver free school meals, freeze the Council Tax and scrap the planned £400 million luxury new Council HQ. That is why we are demanding justice and the restoration of democracy in Croydon.”

They have promised that every pensioner household will be entitled to a Council Tax rebate of £130 if Labour wins the council election in May.

Leader of the Opposition Labour Group, Councillor Tony Newman said:

“In the last four years Croydon’s residents have been charged an extra £136 on their Council Tax bills by Croydon’s Tory Council. They have charged this extra at the same time as cutting services to the people who need them the most. Labour recognises that many pensioners are on small fixed incomes and we felt that they would benefit most from this rebate.

“In conjunction with our previously announced commitment to provide free school meals, increased policing and a weekly recycling collection to all properties, we feel that there is now a clear distinction between what you can expect from a Labour Council especially when you make comparisons with the Tory plans to spend £450 million on a new Council Headquarters.”

The ‘low rise’ for 2010 is a headline 0.8% but this is simply spin, because the Tory Council has in fact put up its tax by 1.07% for 2010. It gets down to 0.8% by including the Council Tax for running the GLA / police and fire service. The Tory Council finds it really very hard to be honest with its tax payer residents.

Croydon Labour opposition leader Tony Newman said:

“Labour Councillors have demanded a Tax Freeze. We have identified a number of areas where money can be saved. These include reducing the spend on overpaid consultants, the expensive ‘free’ Council newspaper and £450 million being spent by the Tory Council on building their new luxury Council HQ. It is a disgrace.

On May 6th we will have the opportunity to turf the Town Hall Tories out, because everyone is sick of their cuts and tax rises.”

Every Labour controlled Council in London has frozen their council tax in 2010.

Croydon Tories took Control of Croydon Council in May 2006. They then embarked on a programme of cuts and a highly controversial programme to build a luxury council HQ, a Conservative Councillor even joked that it was a ‘Council Tax Hub’. To pay for this luxury, the Conservative Council has put up local taxes by 13.5% over the four years.

Leader of the Opposition Labour Group, Councillor Tony Newman said:

“This is a clear and costed pledge that will benefit all children in Croydon’s Primary schools and will improve health, behaviour and educational performance.

“We will pay for the free school meals by scrapping the free newspaper the Council publishes and distributes (£80,000), disbanding the Council’s private police force, the Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers (£800,000) and shut down the Council’s failed economic development company, saving a minimum of £1,500,000, and of course we will also use some of the money saved from scrapping the Tories planned new Council Headquarters.”

Labour’s spokesperson for Schools, Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed said:

“As the mother of two young children myself, I can really appreciate the difference this could make both to the health of some of Croydon’s children and the hard pressed finances of their parents. The people of Croydon now have a clear choice. They can either see their taxes fund a new Council headquarters or they can back our plan for free school meals.”

Labour is committed to providing practical measures that will enable our primary school children to have a healthy lunchtime meal without their parents having to make choices based on their budget.