News from Croydon Labour

Tories threaten jobs and services in Croydon

At the first Cabinet meeting since the election, Croydon’s Tories launched an attack on the staff working for the Council, vulnerable and elderly residents and anyone else who needs to use the services the Council provides.

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.

Other news from Croydon Labour

• Tories clap and cheer as Croydon slashes services - 8 March 2011
• "Black History Month is a left wing vanity project" claims Croydon Tory - 18 November 2010
• Croydon Conservatives target Timebridge Youth Centre for closure - 11 November 2010