So good was the response to the street stall, we plan to hold two more over the summer. Croydon taxpayers are rightly surprised that 19 staff in the council are paid over £100,000, especially when compared to the service we receive.
Come and help us spread the word at the following street stalls:
On Saturday 22nd June The TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List Roadshow came to Croydon.
We highlighted excessive executive pay at Croydon Town Hall. This includes:
Great response from people shocked at how much we pay for how little we get.
Photos and Video from the day below.
Mike Swadling of the Croydon Constitutionalists was interviewed about the Conservative Party Leadership contest on Sputnik Radio.
“Once they’ve left the EU I think he’s got a chance. It’s not just about that for the Conservative Party, they haven’t been Conservatives since the day David Cameron took over, so they need to do something to fight for their core constituencies and deliver for them, but first of all they have to deliver for democracy,” the political campaigner said.
“There is a set of people in Westminster who didn’t want us to leave, which is perfectly reasonable because people can differ, but they have ignored the vote which is unreasonable, and it’s a disgusting act by them.
“they’ve not stopped doing everything they can to ignore the democratic wish of the British people, they are unfit for office, they are unfit for public life, and they keep proving that time and time again”
Full Article: https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201906211076004478-johnson-best-available-tory-leader/
We discuss the Tory Party Leadership Contest and the ongoing political journeys of Chuka Umunna and Sam Gyimah. We reflect on our recent Leavers of Croydon Drinks, our upcoming Taxpayers’ Alliance Street Stall and Croydon Council’s ongoing war against the motorist.
Out now on Spreaker, iTunes and below on YouTube.
Our first post on our web site was on 7th May 2018, our first email 17th June 2018.
Just some of the things we’ve done in that time include:
We visit The Skylark in South Croydon where we discuss these and other achievements of the Croydon Constitutionalists in our inaugural year. Now on Spreaker and iTunes and below on YouTube
Here’s to another year!
The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) are coming to Croydon on Saturday 22nd June as part of their Town Hall Rich List Roadshow.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign for lower taxes and against government waste. Focus on value for money in public finances is something we desperately need in Croydon.
The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 in the last 20 years and spending has gone through the roof. Councils are trying to plug their financial blackholes through tax rises and cuts to public services, rather than scaling back the pay packets of council staff.
You might wonder with all these highly paid staff and councillors, if someone might have had the time to provide some scrutiny over the £10,000 of taxpayer money given to an ‘entertainer’ to defecate on stage. Meanwhile Croydon’s Children’s Services Department is still rated Inadequate by Ofsted.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List Roadshow street stall will be in Croydon on Saturday 22nd June, between 11am and 2pm.
If you’re interested in knowing more about tax in Croydon, their national campaigns, or covering the stall, contact the Croydon Constitutionalists or come and see the TaxPayers’ Alliance Roadshow in Croydon on the 22nd June.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Michael Swadling at CroydonConstitutionalists@gmail.com.
Another good evening at the Milan Bar in Croydon. Good to meet-up with many old and some new Brexiteer friends.
One of the new friends to Croydon was Mick of Orpington. You may find his blog The Euro Probe which covers ‘The European Frankenstein Union’ interesting.
Concerned about value for money from your council tax and wonder if Croydon needs 19 staff paid over £100,000?
Wonder if they fully scrutinised the £10,000 paid for someone to defecate on stage?
Wonder if some of the highest paid councillors in London are representing us with their ever rising council tax bills?
If you share these concerns, come and join us with the TaxPayers’ Alliance at our street stall on Saturday 22nd June , 11am – 2pm on the corner of George Street and North End, Croydon.
TPA Event – https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/2019_town_hall_rich_list_roadshow_croydon
It is we great pleasure we interviewed the Libertarian Party’s Sean Finch.
Sean is an avid free-speech advocate and was the party’s candidate in the Lewisham East By-Election. Sean also took part in our Debate for Democracy in April, and represents a party that stands for lower taxes for both individuals and companies, small government, free speech and individual responsibility. They support a withdrawal from the European Union and a return to the free trade agreements that it was founded on.
Sean thank-you for the interview.
What got you into politics?
I’ve always had a passing interest in politics. When in school, my favourite subjects were History and Business Studies. Then once in sixth form college, I continued to study History but also Government & Politics, and Law. However, I never once imagined, nor desired, to ever become a political candidate or even involve myself in any political party. There was even some period of my life where I was apolitical and would only vote if convenient. My only ambition was to own a pub, be a firefighter and have a family, never did I want to be actively political. It’s seeing how morally degenerating society has become, I see it as a civil duty to attempt to change this declining society.
It truly wasn’t until the day after the 2016 Referendum when I recalled the reaction and appalling behaviour displayed by Remain voters. I was shocked by the result myself but being a believer in democratic results, I respected the decision. Little did I know, this would be the start of a political journey and begun my departure from left wing politics.
“It is a bitter irony to think that those mentioned party supporters are all for diversity, unless it’s the nuance of diversity of thought and critical thinking”
When discussing with friends who I believed like me respected democracy, I was bewildered by their refusal to accept the reality of the result. These Individuals being supporters of parties such as LibDems, Greens and Labour, parties which I had once supported and claim to apparently be for democracy, did not accept reality. The referendum revealed those who believe in liberty & democracy, and those who do not. This was a sobering moment, and due to my natural mind set to respect the electorate, I was ostracised from many circle of friends. It is a bitter irony to think that those mentioned party supporters are all for diversity, unless it’s the nuance of diversity of thought and critical thinking.
What campaigns have you been involved in?
At this time, I have personally been a candidate in 3 election campaigns, but have also assisted in other election campaigns. My first ever experience at canvassing was for a former friend in 2008 in East Dulwich for local councillor for the Liberal Democrats, by which she was successful elected.
Two years after the 2016 Referendum, I finally had enough of the current establishment political class; those in Westminster, Whitehall, mainstream media, as well as those in the EU, undermining the biggest democratic action in UK history. I reluctantly involved myself in the cesspool of active politics. I began to try find a political party to call home, as since 2016 had become absolutely apolitical due to Parliament unwilling to implement Brexit and listen to the public. In my mind, what was the point of ever voting again? I started to seek a party which would represent a majority of my personal values. If I could not find one, I would create my own. Eventually, after a long search of most the English parties, I found the Libertarian Party. I didn’t really know what libertarianism was at the time, apart recalling reading a very short (and I believe purposely) vague paragraph from my Government & Politics exercise book. Having read the Parties policies, constitution and researching online the party and ideology, I signed up and haven’t looked back since. My first personal campaign was for councillor in the London Local Elections 2018 in an Orpington ward (Cray Valley West) where I had almost no idea what to do. I knew I was not going to win, due to both being inexperienced, and introducing a new party to the area. Although I had a secret aim to gain 100 votes, but gained 60.
My next election test was immediately after the London Local Elections, where I was suddenly entered into a Parliamentary by-election for Lewisham East constituency. Having been born & raised in Lewisham, I knew the people and area very well. In a borough which is still to this day totally dominated by Labour (every Cllr, both MPs, an Executive mayor, and the Mayor of London all Labour), libertarianism was not going to gain any traction. However, it would still be an opportunity to gain publicity for Libertarian Party and build experience and my profile. This by-election was again a sobering moment and felt odd on just how intolerant (mostly) left wing parties are towards a party which seeks personal liberty & freedom via less State control and less taxation. In the past, this type of thinking was seen as basic principal for liberal thinking, but apparently no longer.
The last election I was in was the recent Kent Local Elections, where having now some reasonably experience, gained 7% of the vote. Taken, I believe, mostly from the Conservative vote share. Immediately after, many Tories attempted to recruit me, but I continuously refused. In my town I have now effectively become a one man pressure group to the highly dominate Conservative council.
What do you think is next for Brexit?
In my opinion, Brexit has already occurred. We left on 29th March 2019. There has been no repeal to the Withdrawal Act, a new Act of Parliament to countermand the Withdrawal Act, or any EU law to supersede the Withdrawal Act. Yet Parliament have not acknowledged this reality. Brexit is now beyond simply leaving the EU. It is about both our democracy and has highlighted we have a constitutional crisis, and in fact have very little protection from the State. As pessimistic as it may sound, this is actually another positive of referendums. The Magna Carta guaranteed we would have a representative democracy in exchange to end the chaos of the English Civil War, and this has been the case for hundreds of years up until 2016. By Parliament ignoring the Referendum result, it has broken this sacred contract. Now our uncodified UK constitution is as follows: “Parliament is sovereign”. In other words; Parliament can do as it likes, even to ignore the Rule of Law.
I believe the question isn’t when is Brexit, as it’s already occurred, but when will it be acknowledged and when will Westminster, Whitehall and the EU concede defeat. If these two points are not recognised by 31st October, sweeping changes will occur throughout the nation via the vehicle of the Brexit Party. Ironically, for these London institutions to hold onto power, it would be far wiser to respect the 2016 result and leave the EU, then campaign to re-join after, than to force a re-do of 2016 and therefore risk massive change.
“had fittingly given a speech on how our civil liberties such as freedom of speech are being slowly eroded, the police closed the event due to the chaotic appalling behaviour from protesters. My point was vindicated”
Any interesting or fun stories from the campaign trail?
The obvious story to stand out was the Lewisham East by-election 2018. I was born & raised in Lewisham nearly all my life but never consciously realised the corruption on my former doorstep. What was revealing was the almost never-ending scandal of the entire campaign from Labour. Labour candidates were caught up with old anti-Semitic quotes, sexist discrimination against men in their selection process (Joe Droby), and being seen with controversial individuals. However, the most noted scandal was during the one and only hustings held in Catford. Anne-Marie Waters of the For Britain Party was also standing, which gave the Labour controlled group “Stand Up To Racism” an excuse to be violent towards ANY candidate or member of the public who was not a Labour supporter, despite Waters not even attending the hustings. The eventual Labour candidate (Janet Daby) chose not to show in solidarity against Waters, which to me showed she could not debate and I questioned therefore how effective she could possibly be to the people of Lewisham East as an MP if she would not talk with someone simply because of a person’s differing views. The Green and Conservative party candidates also didn’t attend. When I arrived outside the event, a gauntlet of hate was awaiting in the alleyway entrance to the building. Labour supporters (which is well documented) were extremely aggressive towards all people (candidate or public) who wanted to attend the hustings debate, using violence and intimidation. It’s ironic to think that the very reason why these Labour supporters were protesting; to stop the supposedly fascist For Britain Party candidate Ann-Marie Waters (who herself didn’t even attend in fear of safety) used fascistic tactics to close a liberal democratic debate. Fortunately, the UKIP candidate Dave Kurten coincidentally arrived with me, a very tall individual, so unintentionally acted as a shield to deflect any drinks or spit. Once I had managed to enter the building via the gauntlet, which had a familiar connection to 1984’s “two minutes of hate” (but only longer), I had fittingly given a speech on how our civil liberties such as freedom of speech are being slowly eroded, the police closed the event due to the chaotic appalling behaviour from protesters. My point was vindicated.
I suggested to the remaining candidates to continue the hustings in the nearby Whetherspoons pub in order for the public to ask us questions, but only myself, Democrats & Veterans, UKIP and the Monster Raving Loony candidates joined. On a side note, Howling Laud Hope (leader of Monster Raving Loony Party), despite the appearance, is one of the wisest men I’ve ever met and was a great pleasure to hang around.
Despite of these events, the Labour candidate still won the seat with minimal effort. This again highlights just how broken our First Past the Post (FPTP) system is. Although some would say it still accounts for individualism of the candidate (which I do slightly agree) unlike Proportional Representation where you are voting for the party, this example alone defeats the argument. Labour went through 2 other candidates caught up in scandal before choosing Daby. With FPTP, you are still always voting for party brand like PR, not on Individualism.
What surprised you most about getting actively involved in politics?
The broken degenerating society we currently live in. The polarisation of friends. Friends whom I had even helped to become elected. I, even now, have always been welcoming & respectful of people’s opinions. I naturally assumed so was everyone else, bit this is not the case. I always knew not everyone would share the same views, that’s life. However, when I told some friends (LibDems, Greens, Labour) I had joined a very little known party which wasn’t mainstream, they’re was banishment despite years of friendships.
If you introduce or repeal 3 laws (other than for Brexit) what would they be?
Almost every tax law.
I would advocate for an amendment on how the NHS is managed. In my opinion, you cannot save the NHS by throwing money at it. I believe it is a management in people in usage. I would instead give a choice to those who wish to opt-out of the NHS in order to relieve the demand for it.
Repeal the Terrorism Act. The State have been using this act to detain obvious non-terrorist suspects due to being an inconvenience to the State, therefore denying individuals to their natural rights. This has always been a worry when passing an act such as this one.
Amend gun laws to allow pepper spray to be legal. Especially so women can use it to at least defend themselves due to our ever growing crime rate.
“There is a nobility in just knowing that by planting the seed, although you may never see the tree, there is joy in knowing future generations will hopefully enjoy its fruits”
What do you see as your parties route to electoral success?
I’ve never had any illusions that there will be Libertarian Party MPs under FPTP. At least, not for a very long time. Perhaps there is chance of Cllrs (which we have had) in some rare circumstances, but as mentioned above; even in Local Elections, people mostly vote based on party brand label. This can be seen in my recent local election campaign where despite me being the only person to canvass and speak in pubs, I did achieve 7% of vote but no seat. The same parties were voted in. Instead I’ve always seen the Libertarian Party as a pressure group to not just the Tories but to all parties, to return to our basic civil liberties and economic freedoms. Too long has the State stepped over its boundaries, and yet because some of us have always known this to be the norm within our lifetimes, it is actually abnormal in the greater scheme of time. The State should not be involving itself in our everyday lives. I see the party as an obvious vehicle to spread the ideology of libertarianism. When I was studying Government & Politics, libertarianism was but a footnote, it simply isn’t discussed. Across the pond in the USA, libertarianism is a household name due to the efforts from individuals such as Ron and Rand Paul. The ever-growing US Libertarian Party is now the 3rd biggest party. This is where I want to see the UK Libertarian Party but further. There is a nobility in just knowing that by planting the seed, although you may never see the tree, there is joy in knowing future generations will hopefully enjoy its fruits.
Any other thoughts you want to leave us with?
I already taken too much time!
Are referendums and direct democracy a positive? Yes. Not only do they bypass the now broken, slow and often corrupt system of representatives, but they truly do expose those who have nefarious ambitions, versus the selfless who want a better world. Although the establishment; legacy media, academia and Parliament have successfully dirtied the words “liberal”, “conservative” and even “Brexit”, do not let them dirty the word “referendum” and “democracy”. The 2016 Ref has exposed many negative aspects within our society, exposed the bitter reality of how our representatives do not represent us and revealed their true colours, and exposed just how unconstitutional Parliament is by defying the Rule of Law. The answer is not less referendums/direct democracy but more, and allow us as individuals to take our nation into prosperity and have personal stake in how our society operates via individual liberty. Don’t let government do it for you, do it for yourself. As Ronald Reagan said: “Government is not the solution to your problems, government IS the problem.”
Sean is on Facebook, and Twitter. London Libertarians can be found at https://www.facebook.com/londonlibertarians/.
Croydon Council has started a consultation on its new residents parking strategy. They are proposing to introduce emission-based charges for resident and business parking permits, to all controlled parking permit zones within the borough.
Under the proposals electric car owners would pay only £6.50 for an annual resident’s parking permit. However any cars made before 2001 would see residents pay £300 a year compared to the current resident’s permit of £80.
These ‘green’ proposals would see the poorest in the borough punished for not being able to afford new cars, and punished for not being able to afford off street parking in the London property market. This comes on top of another 5% council tax increase, paying for some of London’s most expensive councillors and their weekend entertainment. It’s not even clear that scraping old cars for new is environmentally friendly.
If these proposals are accepted, hardworking families will face extra financial pressure for residents’ parking permits. Cars are often needed to drop young children off at school, before carrying on the work to pay rent or a mortgage on small properties that can be worth 10 times the average income of the area. Of course this problem disappears for the owners of larger properties with their own off street parking.
We are asking Croydon residents to object to the proposal on the online survey, and help keep residents’ parking affordable. Further details are available at https://getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/project/566 with the survey at https://getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/kms/elab.aspx?CampaignId=857&noip=1. The survey runs until midnight, Thursday 20 June.
Are Croydon trying to gentrify out the working class from the borough? Who knows. We do however know Croydon Council is once again acting for the few not the many.
Croydon Constitutionalists
