By Councillor Suzanne Grocott, Merton Conservative group's finance spokeswoman

The Labour administration running Merton Council lacks leadership, vision and integrity.

They demonstrated that conclusively at the recent Budget meeting.

For the second year running their spin hasn't matched reality and like the boy who cried wolf, nobody believes them anymore.

Since May 2010, all we’ve heard is how ‘brutal Government cuts' would mean they could not protect frontline services.

Yet, when it came to the Budget, they had an underspend of over £12m and reserves of over £40m which they did their best to hide, no doubt through embarrassment.

They have not, however, said what these funds will be used for.

Fortunately, Conservative councillors and residents were able to pressure Labour into u-turns on several cuts to frontline services, like slashing funding to Deen City Farm and ending free football for children.

However, with the support of the Merton Park 'Independents', they still made mean cuts which will hurt the vulnerable badly.

Why? To score political points.

With the Council's own finances in such a healthy condition, Merton’s Conservative Group pushed for a one per cent cut in council tax before the budget meeting - not huge but achievable alongside the services we also wanted to protect.

However senior officers - no doubt under instruction from this administration - blocked our proposals so we couldn't put them forward.

We disagree and will now be outlining our plans for further cuts to council tax to benefit you, the residents, directly instead.

We know that tax cuts are achievable whilst improving services and we want to put money back in residents' pockets.

We know Merton deserves better than this cruel and incompetent Labour administration and we will make clear, over the next two years, why we are ready to be the change this borough so desperately needs.

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