Merton Labour is in turmoil as formal complaints are made against the Leader of Merton Council for his role in a council tax consultation that has seen the party campaign against itself.
Last year, the government gave local authorities the power to raise council tax by up to two per cent a year, specifically to fund adult social care, as well as the ability to raise it by another 1.99 per cent to fund other services. A two per cent council tax rise would net about £1.5 million for adult social care.
This option was refused by Merton Council, which instead kept to its election promise of keeping council tax frozen and controversially pushed through £5 million worth of cuts to adult social care in March’s budget setting meeting.
However, the outcry caused by this decision led to the Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis agreeing to hold a public consultation into whether council tax should remain frozen.
The consultation, launched in September and which runs until Friday, November 4, has caused deep divisions within the Labour group, as two opposing Labour campaigns have targeted residents around the borough.
Cllr Alambritis has put his name to a letter sent out across Mitcham and Morden urging residents not to vote for an increase in council tax, and describing it as a ‘fantasy’ that raising council tax can eliminate the further £35 million of cuts local authorities have to make by 2020.
The letter, also signed by St Helier councillor’s Imran Uddin, Jerome Neil and Dennis Pearce, says: “We are therefore strongly minded not to increase your council tax for the next two years, especially whilst Brexit is being negotiated. We think it is best we wait until the UK gets through these difficult negotiations.”
The letter also contains a questionnaire on council tax which describes itself as a consultation, and contains a freepost envelope to return to the consultation team in Merton Council.
However, Merton Council has confirmed it is not a formal consultation, not being counted, and that all responses will be given back to the Labour party.
Former Labour councillor Peter Walker, has accused Cllr Alambritis of disenfranchising residents.
He said: “People think they have filled in the consultation exercise, but the questions are totally different and they won’t be counted. It’s a real problem. It’s totally misleading.
“They are filling in their addresses. If their forms are given to the Labour party instead then it’s a breach of data protection.
“There’s a real sense of outrage that Stephen has asked people to respond and said he would listen to the consultation, but he’s clearly already made his mind up while the consultation is still open.”
Mr Walker added: “The Labour party is completely united in wanting to increase council tax in line with the powers given by the government. The only ones against it are Stephen and a few councillors, which is very distinct to the Labour party in Merton. I don’t recognise what Merton are doing as having anything to do with the Labour party.”
However, Cllr Alambritis denied there was any problem with the Labour consultation.
He said: “There will be a comment on the formal consultation and a comment on other responses. I make no apologies for engaging with the poorer part of the borough.
“The council is consulting and I see no problem in the Labour party consulting as well. It’s irrelevant who is counting the results, it’s all about encouraging participation.”
