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Weather update: Summer is on its way

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Although many will be unhappy to return to work after another sunny weekend, the weather seems to here to stay for the rest of the week. Today, Croydon will see bright sunshine with a thin cloud covering between 2pm and 6pm with temperatures reaching 17 degrees. This evening will remain balmy at around 15 degrees until late in the night.

Weather update: Summer is on its way


Travel update Croydon: June 3

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Although the road works on the A23 Brighton Road between Purley and Coulsdon have been delayed by another two weeks, traffic is slow moving southbound at Hollymeoak Road due to heavy traffic. On the same road, there is also queueing traffic southbound in Purley from Purley Cross to the B2030 Smitham Downs Road junction. However, there is a good service on the tram lines but the 10.07am train from South Croydon to Milton Keynes Central will be started from Balham now due to an ealeier broken down train. The 9.37am train from East Grinstead to London Victoria will call additionally at Selhurst due to an earlier broken down train. The 8.53 train from London Victoria to East Grinstead is cancelled but the 9.23am service is currently due to leave on time.

Travel update Croydon: June 3

Brother of Palace playoff hero Wilfried Zaha pleads guilty to theft

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THE older brother of Crystal Palace playoff hero Wilfried Zaha could face jail after pleading guilty to theft and criminal damage. Serge Zaha, 30, stole a Blackberry mobile from Michael Kelly at Boots in the Whitgift Centre on December 7 last year. Zaha, of Dunheved Road South, has also pleaded guilty to criminal damage after he destroyed a copy of the police Code of Practice, valued at £10, while at the custody suite in Windmill Road, West Croydon, on March 22. He had initially denied both offences but changed his plea before the trial. Zaha appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court last Wednesday so that a probation report could be arranged. Magistrates scheduled a psychiatric assessment after being told he had a history of mental health problems. The 'all-option' report means Zaha could face a fine, community service or a custodial sentence. He was released on unconditional bail ahead of sentencing at the same court on June 26. Last July Zaha was accused of stealing a rucksack from Rami Alshahroor in Bulganak Road, Thornton Heath, only for the case to be dismissed.

Brother of Palace playoff hero Wilfried Zaha pleads guilty to theft

Carshalton College Best Learner Award

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Carshalton College IT student, Thierno Diallo, was awarded the prestigious Best Learner Award at the House of Lords on Thursday 23 May 2013.
The South London Colleges' Best Learner Awards ceremony celebrated the achievements of learners across South London and was hosted by Lord Tope. The awards are organised by the Committee of South London Principals (COSLP) who represent colleges in Croydon, Kingston, Bromley, Richmond,
Sutton and Merton
and work together to share good practice and to improve post 16 and adult learning. 


Thierno Diallo joined Carshalton College in 2008 on the Entry 3 IT Skills in Working Life. Thierno has since gone on to complete the Level 2 Diploma in IT and is now in the second year of completing the Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT.

During the first year of his BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT Thierno gained 9 distinctions.

"I have really enjoyed studying at Carshalton College. You get a lot of freedom for self-study and using computer facilities which has really made the difference, as the more effort I put in, the more experience I gain.  The friendly staff have helped and supported me to achieve the qualifications that I needed to progress in to University."  Thierno Diallo

Thierno brings an energetic and determined style of learning to the classroom. He takes delight in discovering new facts and industry trends in computing and has a deeply enquiring mind. He has excelled at Carshalton College through both his own love of learning, and for his role he has undertaken as a classroom representative and a student ambassador. In both these roles Thierno is reliable, professional and always enthusiastic.

 'Thierno has an easy going and cheerful outlook and uses this disposition to great advantage, even in the most difficult projects; he can be relied upon to shine.' College IT Tutor, Kevin Burgess.

Carshalton College Best Learner Award

Home Office raids find five suspected illegal immigrants and £15,000 cash

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Five suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested and £15,000 seized during a series of Home Office raids in Croydon. The raids took place last Tuesday (May 28) and found the suspects, all of different nationalities, had overstayed their visas. Home Office immigration enforcement officers, acting on intelligence, arrested a 31-year-old Pakistani man and a 25-year-old Afghan man at Game On, in George Street, Croydon. During the subsequent search of the Pakistani national's home in Eastney Road, officers found more than £15,000 in cash hidden in suitcases. Officers seized the money under Proceeds of Crime Act powers. The raids continued at Babylon Inn, North End, with the arrest of a 24-year-old Chinese man for overstaying his visa. Finally, officers moved to The Gold Coast Bar and Restaurant on Portland Road, South Norwood, where they found two women staying illegally in the country. A 24-year-old Kenyan had overstayed her visa and a 34-year-old Ghanaian had entered the country illegally. Apart from the Pakistani, those arrested have been placed in immigration detention, pending their removal from the UK. The Pakistani man has been placed on immigration bail while steps are taken to remove him. Fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker can be levelled at the businesses the correct right-to-work checks can be proved as having taken place. Gold Coast and Game On could therefore be hit with fines of up to £20,000, while Babylon Inn could face a £10,000 penalty. Jill Smith, from the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team in South London, said: "These arrests show that we will leave no stone unturned in our search for illegal workers. The message is clear. Those who are in the country illegally will be arrested and removed. "Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, undermining legitimate businesses and taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work. "The impressive cash seizure demonstrates our officers' ability to find more than just immigration offenders. "While we are happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, those who do break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines. "I would urge members of the public with information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch."

Home Office raids find five suspected illegal immigrants and £15,000 cash

Win £300 to spend at Centrale by capturing Croydon in a photo

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IF you think you can match this shot's success in capturing Croydon, then a new photo contest might be for you. Centrale Shopping Centre is holding a photo contest to celebrate Croydon, running alongside the three-week festival of the borough's heritage that started today (June 3). Entries for the 'Capturing Croydon With Centrale Competition' can be old or new photos and will be exhibited in the shopping centre from June 17. The top prize is a £300 Centrale gift card, while two runners up will also each receive a £100 gift card. Sony Mistou, Centrale's marketing manager, said: "When we heard about the festival we knew instantly that we wanted to get involved as it is such a great idea to bring the community together and celebrate the town we live in. "We are all very excited to see the entries and we welcome everyone to visit our exhibition at the centre." The Croydon Heritage Festival, organised by the Whitgift Foundation, will run until June 23, featuring events including exhibitions and live shows across town. Photo entries should be sent to enquiries@centrale.co.uk or by post to Capturing Croydon Competition, c/o Beth Healey, Centrale Shopping Centre, 21 North End, Croydon, CR0 1TY. Entries will also be accepted via the Centrale social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Images must be received before midnight on Friday June 14. For more entry information visit centrale.co.uk. For more information on the heritage festival, visit croydonheritagefestival.co.uk. (Photo of the Whitgift Almshouses by Jo Orr,courtesy of Sony Mistou, Centrale shopping Centre/Croydon Local Studies Library)

Win £300 to spend at Centrale by capturing Croydon in a photo

Woman sets herself on fire while lighting cigarette

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A woman in South Croydon who accidentally set herself on fire while lighting a cigarette is in hospital having her injuries treated. Two engines from Croydon and one from Purley were called to the scene at 10.45am by someone reporting a person on fire. The firefighters arrived to discover the woman's hair had set alight while she lit up a cigarette. They gave her some first aid until the London Ambulance Service took her to hospital with minor injuries. The air ambulance was initially called but were told to return.

Woman sets herself on fire while lighting cigarette

Trapped driver cut out of car after road accident

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Firefighters rushed to Purley Way to cut a trapped person out of a car following a collision with a lorry. One engine from Purley and two appliances from Croydon were called to the scene outside Pets at Home at midday and spent over an hour rescuing the driver from the wreckage. The police and the ambulance were also called and the injured driver was taken to hospital with suspected spinal damage. The lorry driver was unhurt.

Trapped driver cut out of car after road accident


Travel update Croydon: June 4

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The A236 Mitcham Road northbound between A23 Purley Way and B272 Beddington Lane has delays of up to 10 minutes. Further south at the A23 Brighton Road in Purley between A22 Purley Road and B2030 Smitham Downs Road, there is slow traffic due to congestion. All the trains and trams are also running smoothly. The M25 in Kent clockwise between junction five and Clacket Lane Services had closed one lane at 6.30am due to an accident. It caused queues until 7am but is now open again.

Travel update Croydon: June 4

Croydon weather: temperatures on the rise

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Summer is definitely here for at least the rest of the week in Croydon. Today should not see a cloud in the sky and top temperatures of 19 degrees after midday. The evening will also remain warm at 14 degrees until nightfall just before 10pm. However, there will be a stronger wind today than for the rest of the week, pulling the temperature down.

Croydon weather: temperatures on the rise

Ivor Novello award found in Croydon scrap yard

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The ought to be sitting pride of place in the houses of Emeli Sande, Noel Gallagher or Calvin Harris but an Ivor Novello award has been found in a scrap heap in Croydon. The Met Police were carrying out a London-wide crackdown on metal theft on May 21m under Operation Ferrous. Officers in Croydon were astonished to find the award and have been carrying out an investigation ever since. They have so far established that the award was made specifically for the Ivor Novello Institute. It appears the award went missing during an office move in 1999 - although the item was not reported stolen at the time, the scrap metal yard failed to produce the correct documentation for the item. Acting Inspector James Coomber, of the Met regional intelligence unit, said: "Overall, metal theft is down 50 per cent compared with this time last year thanks to activity generated by Operation Ferrous through scrap yard visits, road checks and search warrants. "This is despite the price of copper and lead remaining relatively stable. "Operations to disrupt this crime type, which is often committed by highly organised criminals, will continue to be developed and co-ordinated by the London regional intelligence unit with the support of borough and specialist staff." Under amendments to the Scrap Metal Dealer's Act 1964 which came into effect in December 2012, scrap metal dealers are now prohibited from paying cash for scrap metal.

Ivor Novello award found in Croydon scrap yard

Firefighters prevent night time blaze

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Firefighters from Norbury rushed to Canterbury Road near the Croydon Uni Hospital to put out a fire that had started in a block of garages. They were called just after 3am and spent 10 minutes putting out the blaze with two engines. Only parts of the garages - which attach onto residential houses - were damaged. The incident was not treated as suspicious and the police were not called. However the cause of the fire is not known.

Deadline extended: Win £300 to spend at Centrale by capturing Croydon in a photo

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IF you think you can match this shot's success in capturing Croydon, then a new photo contest might be for you. Centrale Shopping Centre is holding a photo contest to celebrate Croydon, running alongside the three-week festival of the borough's heritage that started on June 3. Entries for the 'Capturing Croydon With Centrale Competition' can be old or new photos and will be exhibited in the shopping centre from June 17. The top prize is a £300 Centrale gift card, while two runners up will also each receive a £100 gift card. Sony Mistou, Centrale's marketing manager, said: "When we heard about the festival we knew instantly that we wanted to get involved as it is such a great idea to bring the community together and celebrate the town we live in. "We are all very excited to see the entries and we welcome everyone to visit our exhibition at the centre." The Croydon Heritage Festival, organised by the Whitgift Foundation, will run until June 23, featuring events including exhibitions and live shows across town. Photo entries should be sent to enquiries@centrale.co.uk or by post to Capturing Croydon Competition, c/o Beth Healey, Centrale Shopping Centre, 21 North End, Croydon, CR0 1TY. Entries will also be accepted via the Centrale social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The deadline for entries has now been extended: Images must be received before midnight on Tuesday June 18 (not June 14). For more entry information visit centrale.co.uk. For more information on the heritage festival, visit croydonheritagefestival.co.uk. (Photo of the Whitgift Almshouses by Jo Orr,courtesy of Sony Mistou, Centrale shopping Centre/Croydon Local Studies Library)

Deadline extended: Win £300 to spend at Centrale by capturing Croydon in a photo

Police lookout for missing Thornton Heath man

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Police are appealing for the public to come forward with information about man from Thornton Heath who went missing this weekend. Neil Skipper, 30, was reported as missing to the police in Croydon on June 1. Officers say they are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare after he was last seen leaving his house near to Grange Road at approximately 6.30pm on Saturday. Neil said that he was going to the shops and would be back later, but he did not return home that night and has been missing ever since. Neil is described as a white man, approximately 5"9, of slim build and clean shaven with short dark hair. Acting Detective Sergeant Karen France, from Croydon CID said: "We would like to hear from anyone who might have seen or heard from Neil since Saturday evening. "He has never gone missing before and his family are extremely worried and just want to hear that he is safe and well. "If you have any information, then please get in touch." Anyone with information regarding Neil's whereabouts should either contact police on 101 or call or text the Missing Persons Charity on 116 000.

Police lookout for missing Thornton Heath man

Safe cuts & dangerous cuts.

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I was recently at a DPAC meeting discussing the big issues over us Disabled taking some very nasty hits, and I encountered the Anti-cuts crowd again ( they're typically from the Green Party and Socialist Worker's Party in my experience ).  And, after a chat, I think I got them to understand the big picture more.  And I wanted to write this as you, the voter, will be facing some very big decisions soon.


What is a safe cut, and what is a dangerous cut?



The country, financially, is shot to hell.  It's true. The Bankers did a real number on us.


The Torys have now borrowed more than Labour planned to due to their economic policies failing, and at the same time a lot of very rich people are now paying less Tax.  It looks pretty awful, & is certainly not fair. As I've said before we owe billions. And we are still borrowing billions each year as not enough Tax is being paid in this country.


If we use 2010 figures for the deficit ( the difference between what we get in Tax & what we spend on vital services ) the difference is £160b in deficit.  Which means we borrow £160b each year as we do not get enough Tax in to cover the bills.


Tax Avoidance ( those evil corporations and their evil non-Tax-paying ways ) costs us about £90b per year ( last I read ).  So, even if we stop all Avoidance ( which is a big if ) we're still short £70b to close the deficit.  And that is before we look at then finding cash to pay off this debt.  Say another£30b per year.  So, in reality, if we are to pay off we need to find £100b from somewhere EACH YEAR.  Scary stuff eh?


Part of this is tied to growth.  If we create jobs people pay tax and claim less benefits.  But part of it is Structural.  Which means it can only be closed by Tax Rises or spending cuts. Most of the deficit is Structural ( about 80% of it ).  Creating jobs won't be enough to sort it.  Even more scary stuff.


Much as it is true the Super Wealthy will leave if taxed too high we can change the law to make it harder for them to leave.  If the law is changed it is then safer to Tax the Rich.  The Queen's own lawyers are examining this one.  So Taxing The Rich more is possible.  As is reducing Tax avoidance.  But, even with all of that, we still need some cuts to bridge the gap.  And this is where 'Safe cuts & dangerous cuts' comes in.  The decision you voters must make come election-time.



- At present the wealthy part of our old age pensioner population gets perks and freebies that cost us £9b per year.  These people are loaded, so I think it's safe to say we could safely cut their freebies and no-one would sustain injury ( or die ).  This is an example of what I would call a safe cut.  No-one is going to get hurt if a few rich people get less freebies.


- At present our Disabled are taking an absolute kicking on the Bedroom Tax, and people are dying. No-one is opposed to downsizing really. No-one wants to see wastage due to it. But the current policy ( cutting the Spare Room Subsidy as the Torys call it ) is putting the squeeze on already poor and injured people when there is nowhere to move to.  I think it's safe to say this cut ( to the Spare Room subsidy ) is dangerous.  People are genuinely dying now as food runs out and Mental Health problems get worse and worse ( due to the stress of being so desperately poor ).


- Much as Jobseekers Allowance is not supposed to be fun ( it's supposed to keep you alive & healthy but seriously bored so that you are pointed at getting a job and given a solid nudge ) if people are now developing Mental Health problems and requiring NHS treatment due to, yup you guessed it, the stress of being so desperately poor then has it been cut too far?  Jobseekers now have to pay Council Tax, as the Council Tax Benefit budget was cut. Hence why so many are now getting very VERY hungry, and more and more are starting to fall ill. I would say this cut was dangerous, as people are sustaining injury.  Injuries which then stop them working, and this costs The NHS ( us Taxpayers ) more money.  It's an own-goal.  It actually puts the bills up.


- I recently had to take The NHS to court over failures that lead to me being very badly injured.  I had just found a Lawyer willing to take the case ( which was not easy as Psychiatric cases can be very difficult ) and then The Torys cut the Legal Aid budget.  My Lawyer pulled out, and now the time-out has occurred that's it.  My case is dead.  I will never get compensation or Justice for the awful things done to me. This is quite a blow and has DEFINITELY affected my health for the worse.  And it also means these bad Doctors are, quite frankly, still out there.  Was this a safe cut?  Or a dangerous one?  I'm biased, so I'll let you decide there.  Is it not better to shut down the bad doctors using The Law?  Is that worthy of Public Money?


- The Independent Living Fund is a budget that allows very disabled people to get help and live a fairly reasonable life.  Being trapped at home all the time due to poverty and a lack of assistance is not fun, and will make an already injured person more ill ( the stress of poverty, the boredom, the isolation, it all adds up ).  The Torys have now fully cancelled this.  Their plan is to transfer the responsibility to Local Councils, but they've also massively cut the Local Councils.  So where is the cash that is needed to look after the Disabled? What will happen now?  Services are disappearing, and more and more ill & infirm are getting stuck at home alone.  Their homes become their prisons. Is this a safe cut?  I believe it is, once again, dangerous.  People are sustaining injuries after all.


- Carers and their adult disabled kids have also been cut.  It's tied to the Benefits Cap.  I think most people approve of some kind of Benefits Cap, but the current one is pretty awful.  It means that if a disabled adult is looked after at home the parents ( The Carers ) are then Benefits Capped.  And in a place like Croydon ( with seriously high rents ) that is a major problem.  Families are being forced apart.  It doesn't even make financial sense ( if you ignore the cruelty ), as moving out Disabled people to Care Homes costs far more than supporting them at home with their parents ( Carers ).  I can't help but feel this cut is stupid, and will cause injury to many an adult disabled person.  It is a dangerous cut.


- MP's tried to vote themselves a 32% pay rise recently.  As they happily cut the support for some of the most vulnerable people in the country.  I think it's safe to say cutting the amount of money spent on MP's would be safe, as no-one would get hurt.  Many of them are seriously loaded.  We need to pay MP's some wages sure, or only the wealthy will be able to be MP's, but they're on some pretty tidy cash already.  Is it too much?  One for you to think about.


- Millionaires have just been given a massive Tax Cut.  The idea is to encourage investment and job creation, but that did not work when this was done in the 1980's or 1990's.  It's called 'trickle-down economics' ( as wealth is supposed to trickle down from the Rich to the Poor ) but it reliably failed, as the millionaires just stashed the cash in Tax Havens instead.  They did not spend anything.  The one crowd who can afford to pay more Tax, and not starve or die in the process, are being given a Tax Cut.  We may have created more millionaires ( who in theory paid more Tax ) back then ( source: The London School Of Economics ), but all we really got was mass unemployment ( which happily ate up that Tax Money due to the massive amount of unemployment benefits we had to pay out back then. We did not make a mint from this policy. ).  All that unemployment ( whole towns left to die ) cost us a fortune in human misery and lost lives; which in turn led to the massive NHS repair job required in 1997, and the major education programs that are still needed today to rebuild these devastated parts of the country.  Education, generally, is paid for by the Tax Payer as those who need it usually can't afford it ( as they are too poor due to their lack of skills. They can't get the work ).  Someone needs to bail them out by training them so that they can get work, stop claiming benefits, and instead pay Tax.  It's pretty obvious how good that is for the Taxpayer if these people get work.  But The Torys have, in their bizarre wisdom, now rolled out this failed economic plan once again ( including education cuts ) as the Disabled suffer and sometimes die due to service shortages.  Is this a safe cut, or a dangerous one?  Letting off the wealthy, and then cutting education & healthcare, during a time when mass unemployment is back with a vengeance and people need training so that they can create their own jobs ( and maybe jobs for others ).  Safe or dangerous?  You decide.  Personally I think it's crazy.  Seriously dangerous.  Who will pay for The Police if Taxes are down and people then turn to crime due to the lack of jobs?  Street Muggings are up in Croydon at present for example ( source:  Steve Reed MP ).


- Building Schools for The Future was worth £350m to Croydon; and was an initiative to invest in skills so that, as I have said, kids would come out smarter; and as such be more likely to get & create jobs.  This was cut completely by The Torys ( all of it cancelled ), and since then Gavin Barwell has only been able to secure about £60m in funding to replace it ( last I read ). Is this a safe cut, or a dangerous one?  Are your kids smart enough already?  Are there enough school places already?  Labour feel this cut is dangerous, as it leaves far too many kids in a very bad place during a critical & fragile part of their life.


- Cuts to Child Benefit. Under the new system people earning over a certain amount do not get it anymore.  Rich people do not get it anymore basically.  But…  If you're a couple, both earning 30 grand a year ( 60 grand a year total ), you still get it.  Where-as a single person earning 45 grand per year will now lose it.  Even though single parents need all the help they can get ( especially in seriously expensive London ).  Is this cut fair?  Is it safe? Could it have been done better? No-one's gonna die, obviously, but what about that poor single mum being picked on as she's not married?


- Cuts to Sickness Benefit. If you are married, and your partner earns over 11 grand a year or something small like that, you lose all your sickness benefits now.  A Tory cut.  You get financially dumped on the hubby or wife.  Who on earth is going to date an ill person now, knowing any future will include a massive bill for the working one ( as the ill person is too ill to work )? Ill people are now being damned to a life of loneliness, as people want a future in their marriage ( rather than a bucket load of debt ).  So is this a fair cut?  Or a cruel one that will harm ( or even kill ) people due to stress & isolation, and as such a dangerous cut?  My vote is for the 'dangerous' label on this one.  Seriously dangerous.  It reminds me of Eugenics, and that was one of Hitler's favourites.



Typically too much stress causes either Depression ( which can lead to suicide ) or Anxiety ( bad nerves, and that can lead to substance abuse ).  It can get you in other ways as well ( bad skin, muscle problems, etc ). Too much stress is ALWAYS bad for you. Much as I agree we should all do what work we can, if you whack the unemployed & Disabled too hard ( as you shove them into jobs ) you will injure them.  And then they won't be able to work, and you'll be back at square one.




These are what you face as a voter.  If you agree that some cuts are required the real question is where can you cut safely, and where must you not cut ( or you'll hurt someone ).


No cuts at all means those Wealthy OAP's get to carry on getting freebies.  As do other rather wealthy people ( Child Benefit for example ). I believe some cuts are required; but this current Govt are cutting too much, cutting the wrong people in places, and are hurting too many innocents in the process.  30 ill people are dying each week from botched ESA assessments alone.  The Govt have got it seriously wrong with their priorities.  Their plan is not working, and people are now sustaining injury due to their failure. Some are, as you've probably seen in the papers, dying; as their life has been made too stressful.  It doesn't make a man of you, as some people may claim. Too much stress makes a cripple of you.  Or a corpse.  Look at the injuries sustained by Torture victims.






One other thing. Universal Benefits & Universal Taxation. Once you've decided what can be cut and what can't be cut you then need to work out the cheapest way to do it.


The Conservatives are pushing ahead with Means-testing.  This means a lot of admins looking through a lot of paperwork, so based on that a lot of admins need employing ( which is expensive ).


Labour prefers to use Universality.  Much as this means taking with 1 hand and then giving with another ( which obviously sounds a bit weird ) at the same time it is genuinely cheaper to run, and gets the same results as Means-testing.  Rich Oldies may well keep their freebies, but they'll be paying more Tax on their wealth to pay for said freebies.  So it does add up.  It's the same with the Wealthy & Child Benefit.


The 50p Tax Rate was one of these initiatives.  In the first year there was a rise in Tax Payments coming in, even with many people juggling to avoid it.  But then the Torys cancelled it, rather than closing the Avoidance loop-holes.  After only 1 year.  If you close the Avoidance loopholes the Rich can't avoid.  They have to pay.  But so far this Govt are leaving those loopholes very open. Seeing as most Tax Avoiders are set up in the Caymans now a deal with The Swiss is pretty small-fry for example. But that is something you, the voter, will have to scrutinise.


If you're like me you'll have no problem at all with cutting all those perks for wealthy people, but at the same time you'll want to do this in the cheapest way possible.  By using Universal Benefits & Universal Taxation you can Tax The Rich more ( the one crowd who can afford to pay more ) to pay for those Rich-man's Perks they get.  Which frees up cash to help the Poor & Injured.  So you get the same results as the Tory way ( Means-testing ), but it's cheaper to run.  And that means it's safe to cut the administration budget as well.  Which frees up even more money to help the Poor & Injured.


Universality may seem a bit weird, but it's the cheapest way to get the results you want.  Tax The Rich to pay for their stuff and also for what's needed to help The Poor.  The Rich are the one crowd who can safely pay more Tax.  They won't sustain injury ( or die ) from it, can still work, and won't need NHS treatment due to stress.  So it's nowt but profit as long as you remove those Avoidance loopholes to stop them sneaking off.


Sneaking off?  If their business is in the UK and they sell to the UK people then why are they not paying Tax on their UK sales?  Because the current laws are not good enough.  They can claim to be based offshore; and as such, even if they are selling in the UK to UK people, they still count as being based abroad.  So pay their taxes abroad.  Which is pretty silly, as they are clearly making cash from the UK economy, yet not paying Tax here.  Change that, and you really will see a change in this countries fortunes.  Do you honestly think Barclays will close every branch it has and leave?  Will google ban UK people from using it's service?  Will Ikea run for the hills and abandon Britain forever?  It's pretty unlikely...


So change the law & close the loopholes.  And then set taxes fairly so that the Rich, finally, pay their fair share.  That is good business sense when our country is so broke.




Christian Wilcox is the Chair of the Croydon Mental Health Forum ( politically neutral ), an NHS Executive ( Advisory ) for the South London & Maudsley ( politically neutral ), and works for the Labour Party privately.

Safe cuts & dangerous cuts.


Body on train tracks was missing Croydon man

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A MAN found dead after being hit by a train is believed to be missing Thornton Heath man Neil Skipper. Police launched an appeal to find 30-year-old Mr Skipper yesterday after reports from his family that he had not been seen since Saturday afternoon. However, police now believe the man hit by a train later on Saturday evening near Putney was Mr Skipper. His family had reported him missing after he left his home that evening, saying he was going to the shops. To pay tribute to Mr Skipper leave a comment below or call the newsdesk on 01737 783822.

Body on train tracks was missing Croydon man

Old Town Masterplan - Exhibition of Emerging Ideas‏ - Thursday 20th June – 5.30pm-9pm

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Dear All (including Croydon Old Town residents opposite the church minster Abbey road, St Johns road, Sylverdale Road, waddon road and Harrisons rise)


I am writing to let you know about the next opportunity for you to comment on the development of The Old Town Masterplan.

 

We are going to be exhibiting the emerging ideas for the masterplan for you to comment on at the following times:

 

Thursday 20th June – 5.30pm-9pm

Saturday 22nd June – 11am – 3pm

You are welcome to drop in to the exhibition at any point during its opening hours.

 

Venue: The Connected Croydon Project Shop, 81 Church Street, Old Town, Croydon, CR0 1RH

(This is the shop unit that was previously occupied by The Army Surplus Store)

 

At the exhibition you will be able to see how the ideas that were discussed at the Ideas Workshop that was held on March 26th in Matthews Yard have been integrated in to potential proposals for The Old Town area.

 

We really hope you are able to attend the exhibition and can provide feedback to inform the further development of the masterplan in advance of formal public consultation on a draft masterplan later this year. I would also be grateful if you could tell your neighbours about this event so that the masterplan is informed by as much of your local knowledge as possible.

 

I will be in touch again to let you know the dates for the formal consultation when they become available.

 

The purpose of the Old Town Masterplan is to improve the built environment for people living, working and shopping in Old Town. It will be a Planning Guidance Document that sets the parameters for development of the buildings, streets and public spaces in Old Town and also looks at how movement in, out and around the area could be improved over the next 20 years. It will also recommend how the heritage assets of the area – its treasured buildings and historic street patterns - can be preserved, enhanced and celebrated. The Old Town Masterplan is funded by the Mayor of London and Croydon Council.

Old Town Masterplan - Exhibition of Emerging Ideas‏ - Thursday 20th June – 5.30pm-9pm

Vikram Solanki calls for consistency ahead of Warwickshire clash

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CONSISTENCY is key if Surrey are to turn their season around, according to Vikram Solanki. Surrey suffered a humiliating thrashing at the hands of Essex in the Yorkshire Bank 40 last night, losing by 178 runs, but Solanki insists he is enjoying his first season at the Oval. "It's been great," the 37-year-old said. "We've played well in parts and not so well in other parts. "If we can string together some performances and get some consistency into our game, hopefully we can move in the right direction." Surrey have not had a great start to the season and are yet to record a win in the County Championship, but Solanki is confident a good run is not far away from Chris Adams' team. "We have played some good cricket at times. We just need to get more consistent," the right-handed batsman said. "The opportunities for the youngsters is great, more so because we've got some great players around, the likes of Ricky Ponting and Azhar Mahmood in the set-up, Graeme [Smith] was around for a little while as well, it's a great opportunity for them to learn their cricket. "If we can all sort of group together and string some performances together we can all get about enjoying our job a bit more." And the India-born former England international is hoping that starts with Wednesday's Championship game against holders Warwickshire at Guildford - but he knows it isn't going to be easy. "It's not supposed to be easy," Solanki explained. "It's an opportunity for us to get back to playing some good cricket and hopefully putting in some decent performance."

Vikram Solanki calls for consistency ahead of Warwickshire clash

Vikram Solanki calls for consistency ahead of Warwickshire match

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CONSISTENCY is key if Surrey are to turn their season around, according to Vikram Solanki. Surrey suffered a humiliating thrashing at the hands of Essex in the Yorkshire Bank 40 last night, losing by 178 runs, but Solanki insists he is enjoying his first season at the Oval. "It's been great," the 37-year-old said. "We've played well in parts and not so well in other parts. "If we can string together some performances and get some consistency into our game, hopefully we can move in the right direction." Surrey have not had a great start to the season and are yet to record a win in the County Championship, but Solanki is confident a good run is not far away from Chris Adams' team. "We have played some good cricket at times. We just need to get more consistent," the right-handed batsman said. "The opportunities for the youngsters is great, more so because we've got some great players around, the likes of Ricky Ponting and Azhar Mahmood in the set-up, Graeme [Smith] was around for a little while as well, it's a great opportunity for them to learn their cricket. "If we can all sort of group together and string some performances together we can all get about enjoying our job a bit more." And the India-born former England international is hoping that starts with Wednesday's Championship game against holders Warwickshire at Guildford - but he knows it isn't going to be easy. "It's not supposed to be easy," Solanki explained. "It's an opportunity for us to get back to playing some good cricket and hopefully putting in some decent performance."

Vikram Solanki calls for consistency ahead of Warwickshire match

Way to Work Awards Ceremony

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Students in Years 10 and 11 from a number of Sutton's secondary schools celebrated completing the 'Key Stage 4 Way to Work Programme' on Wednesday 22 May 2013 at a Way to Work Awards Ceremony held at Nightingales Restaurant in Carshalton College.

 

The Way to Work programme co-ordinated by the London Borough of Sutton and delivered in partnership with Carshalton College and JACE Training was a series of 10 workshops and work-based learning activities in catering, construction, hair and motor vehicle maintenance. The aim of the programme is to provide learners with an opportunity to learn new skills and try different courses that may enable them to progress to further training or employment at the end of Year 11.

 

In addition each course supported the development of English, Maths and IT, some had unit accreditation.

 

All the students received certificates for participating on the programme and there were further awards for 100% attendance, most improved learner and best achiever.

 

Chris Jones from London Borough of Sutton said "The programme is a great opportunity for young people to get "hands on" experience and work in realistic industry environments. In the vast majority of cases the level of work produced, interest shown and commitment to the programme by the learners was exceptional."

 

The feedback from learners and schools alike has been very positive with requests to repeat the programme next year. One comment received from Cheam High School was "Our students have talked very highly of the programme and clearly gained a great deal from it".

Way to Work Awards Ceremony

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