We greatly regret that, at this difficult time for Croydon Council, the Chief Executive, Jo Negrini, will be leaving.
An Appointments committee was held today, 27th August 2020, comprising four Labour and two Conservative Councillors. A majority of Councillors approved the CEO’s departure.
As yet another CEO leaves Croydon, what is wrong at the Town Hall?
Cllr Tony Newman, as Labour Leader of the Council, has now overseen the departure of two Chief Executives, as well as the departure of a number of key and talented officers from the council. Some of those officers have been instrumental in helping the Council recover from its recent failing OFSTED position.
The Council is now rudderless and heading for the rocks at great speed.
At a time when the council is facing unprecedented financial pressures caused by the mismanagement of the Council’s finances, how can Cllr Newman and his Cabinet justify the loss of so many key officers?
What is so toxic about the current Labour Council and its leadership that they cannot keep their key civil servants in post?
Could it be the £1.5bn of debt that they have amassed since 2014, the stalled regeneration of the Town Centre, the crisis at their loss making house builder Brick by Brick, or the way in which this Labour Council has ridden roughshod over local residents by ignoring their planning concerns and building on green and open spaces whilst declaring a climate emergency?
Cllr Tim Pollard, Leader of Croydon’s Conservative Councillors, commented: ‘There is no doubt that Covid-19 has been hard on the Council’s finances, but the seeds of this current crisis were planted long ago, when the Labour Council ventured on an unnecessary spending spree, preferring to buy hotels and shopping venues to actually controlling their finances. This Labour Council has left this borough defenceless against unforeseen circumstances such as Covid-19.
It is surely time for Cllr Newman to resign before he scuttles Croydon forever.’
