Council’s proxy email gets its details wrong – Inside Croydon

It’s only the first working day since the list of candidates for Croydon constituencies was published and Croydon Council has been forced to issue its first public apology for its latest rooster.

Responsible for running Croydon’s elections is the council’s £192,000-a-year chief executive, Katherine Kerswell.

It’s the same Kerswell who made the borough more of a laughing stock than ever before when he staged the never-ending 2022 election countdown that took Croydon. four days to deliver their results, when most London boroughs were packing ballot boxes and sorting recycling paper midway through the Friday morning after polling day on Thursday.

Typos and date errors: Croydon CEO Katherine Kerswell has made a poor start to the 2024 general election

The campaign for the 2024 general election got off to an inauspicious start on Friday when Kerswell’s electoral services department released a list of candidates that had a glaring typo in the name of someone who was MP for only part of the area. nine years.

Chris Philp had become Chris Hilp. Someone had taken P.

But on Saturday, the vast majority of voters in the district were emailed a set of instructions that included the latest gaffe.

According to Croydon Council’s official email, the deadline was to request a proxy vote – to get someone to vote on your behalf – would be Wednesday July 26. Three weeks after General Election Day on July 4th.

“Maybe it’s because Kerswell expects it to take so long with the count this time?” suggested a beat from Katharine Street.

This morning all those tens of thousands of misinformed voters received another email from Croydon Council, this time apologetic (albeit reactionary).

We must not rely on: how the board’s initial letter about voting options got the details wrong

“I sent you an email on Saturday regarding voting in the upcoming general election,” the latest email read.

“In the email, I informed you that if you are unable to attend the polling station on July 4th, you can appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.

“The email stated that the deadline for appointing a proxy was Wednesday 26th July at 5pm.” Then they added: “It was an error.” No shit, Sherlock!

“The deadline for appointing a proxy is Wednesday, June 26 at 5 p.m.” Ahhh…so before action on polling day then? Right…

“The correct deadline for proxy voting and all other legal deadlines are on the council’s website and on the official voting cards that will be delivered to voters this week.”

They finally added: “We apologize for any confusion our original email may have caused.” So it’s okay then.

“Damn Croydon council never ends, does it?” said a worry-worn Council Tax payer.

Friday, in it Weekly waffles internal email to council staff, Kerswell decided to patronize them all by telling them how important the D-Day landings in 1944 had been (she had heard about it on the radio on her way to work): “A real moment in history” , according to Kerswell, who was clearly impressed by her own knowledge.

And in her classic “suck the egg that way, granny” approach, she went out of her way to explain that as Croydon’s acting chief executive, she is responsible for managing the running of the borough’s general election.

“A few people have asked me what the difference is between the role of trustee and trustee.”

According to Kerswell, “This can be confusing as the titles are very similar…”. Kerswell clearly thinks all her staff are infantile idiots.

Kola Agboola, as the ward’s ceremonial mayor, does the ceremonial shit as the returning officer (so on election night, he’ll read the results).

“The Acting Speaker, which is the position I hold,” Kerswell explained painstakingly, “manages the electoral roll, the running of the election, the counting arrangements and the counting itself, working with the election team.”

Too bad it doesn’t include corrections in the job description.

And to think Kerswell is paid around £20,000 every time Croydon holds an election.

Read more: Kerswell chooses to go “in-house” and count the scenes at Fisher’s Folly
Read more: Scotland Yard’s cyber crime unit investigating Croydon Labour
Read more: Before your next vote, you must read this from The New Yorker

For more information on where to vote on the 4th of July and the full list of people standing for election in your constituency, use our widget here:

Find election information at
WhoCanIVoteFor.co.uk

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