Sir/Madam,
At Budget Council recently, every Labour councillor had the chance to do the right thing for the people of Merton. I had hoped all members of the Council might have united to support the 1.7% Adult Social Care precept. After all, that’s what the hundreds of signatories to our petition (www.caringformerton.uk) wanted as did the 90% of residents in Merton Park who completed an online survey, not to mention the various hardworking community groups who have been lobbying for months for it.
I was proud to move the opposition’s amendment on 2nd March. The precept would have raised £1.355million of ring-fenced funding year on year to protect crucial frontline services for the borough’s most vulnerable adults. As well as offsetting some of the £5million of cuts the Labour administration is choosing to make this year, this injection of cash would have been delivered without residents’ council tax bills rising by a single penny thanks to the Mayor of London reducing his share of the council tax.
In the end however, just one Labour councillor voted for the amendment and another abstained. All the rest opted for political expediency over the quality of life of their own residents. Unfortunately even the three Merton Park Independent councillors defied their own supporters by once again voting for Labour’s unamended and uncaring budget once our amendment had failed.
This is all extremely disappointing. Merton Labour can’t manage the council finances so they have chosen to cut vital services such as meals on wheels, day care centres and care support packages rather than listening to residents and supporting the viable solution. And even when we identified alternative savings and ways to generate new income, still they voted them down.
Whether it’s the £5million of savings they’ve failed to deliver, their £2.6million overspend or the countless commercial opportunities they haven’t taken, those who are most in need in Merton are now going to suffer due to Labour’s financial incompetence and short sighted political decisions.
Cllr Oonagh Moulton
Leader of Merton Conservative Group