15% wow talk about rinsing the voters. Looks like the council want out !

Soooo

I actually live in central Croydon, so unlike a lot of the posters on threads re. UK or Croydon centric affairs on here (some of whom don't even live in the UK) therefore I'll offer my more relevant view from the ground.

Objectively, I can also understand why a 15% raise has been proposed.

I don't think there is any other option at this point. I hardly think this raise has been decided upon without trying to find a viable alternative... such a massive hike so early in the mayors tenure is tantamount to career suicide. The alternative is massive cuts to core services and they've clearly decided that would be even worse.

However, Croydon has been chronically underfunded for years, when compared with other councils (per resident) considering its size and more importantly its role in taking the lions share of London centric immigration, whether that be through asylum or otherwise, compared with any other council.

If this had been appreciated and properly funded, there would be less of an issue – services would be able to keep pace. It is in fact the largest borough by population in London and has one of the fastest rates of population growth out of any London borough. It is the fall guy and should be adequately compensated as a result.

Instead, it is expected to take the population hit at the expense of other councils and its residents suffer as a result. Granted most boroughs have seen their funding reduced drastically since 2010, but Croydon has suffered more than most.

It is also worth noting that the debt pile of some £1.5bn is a legacy that dates back further than the previous Labour administration. I believe it was something in the region of £700m at the time Labour took over. It probably goes back even further than that. That's not to excuse how some of it has been fuelled by chronic mismanagement, but to suggest that it is all the fault of one term is simply not true. In fact, even if it had been managed properly throughout the labour tenure the debt pile would still have grown significantly due to the massive reduction in central funding and government treating it as a population dumping ground.

I have no issue with a growing population in this borough – it's the largest and has one of the most aggressive planning and building strategies in London, so it makes sense.

But it only works if it is reclassified and correctly funded in line with the role it plays (to the benefit of a lot of other boroughs) – and treated like the 'city within a city' that it actually is. Those other better funded councils should also start taking their share of the population growth burden.

This is clearly not something the government are prepared to do in the near term, hence the 15% increase. It's going to be debated on March 1 in the council meeting but I'm not sure anything is going to change, if they've decided things are so bad that the nuclear option is the only option I can't see them rowing it back. Residents voices will rightly be heard but a reduction won't be forthcoming.

So I understand the pushback, but it needs to happen. It's going to destroy a lot of people and that's not right... but the origins of this raise go a lot further back and spread a lot wider than the last council administration.

Edited by SW19 CPFC (15 Feb 2023 5.18pm)

Did you know? 98.0000001% of people are morons.

So, matters have got significantly worse during the current administration, but it’s not their fault, despite going bust and central government having to take over to deal with their inadequacies. Are you serious? You can’t just throw money at incompetency, they have already proved that doesn’t work.

As I don't live in Croydon or follow the local politics I don't know which party is to blame other than the council has failed to manage it's financial problems and the voters over several elections didn't see fit to punish those in charge.

I think Croydon is a lesson to us all we should all keep an eye on how our local council manages it's finances and services and if they start to falter punish them at the ballot box. Nothing changes a politicians mind more than the risk of losing their cushy job.

Regarding the level of funding I agree it's a problem Bromley has been underfunded for decades if you look at how much they get compared to inner London boroughs. No doubt others will also feel hard done by.

Anyway Bromley's finances were in good shape last time I looked (2 tears ago) but I suspect some will complain they have cut services but you have to balance the books.

Edited by Badger11 (15 Feb 2023 8.19pm)

One more point

Since 1994 there have been two Conservative and five Labour councils. who is more responsible for the current situation?

Christ alive

Why does everything have to be dumbed down to binary ‘so it was all their fault’ (insert political party here) drivel

You’re not five

The point (again) is that there are several major, cumulative factors that have contributed to the situation, of which, and I mention this clearly above, Labour is a major player. But if you want to interrogate the issue properly you can’t just go full partisan.

Also the debt on takeover from the tories was nearly 900m, not 700m as I’d assumed above. its an important point but frankly it’s not always about tories vs Labour… to simplify it to that and only that all the time is lazy. This is a much broader issue of mismanagement and marginalisation by all parties at both council AND government level over many years.

All the detail is there in the accounts and historical policy making, eg the decision to start hacking away council grants in 2010 and some councils suffering more than others (Croydon, -70%).

Start by countering or discussing the breadth of the points made (ie the whole issue) not trying to constantly turn this into a Labour/Tories are worse so they’re drossfest. I’m more interested in all the reasons why, the chain of events, than partisan point scoring which is of little value to anyone.

Edited by SW19 CPFC (15 Feb 2023 11.09pm)

Did you know? 98.0000001% of people are morons.