Members of the local Labour party have voted overwhelmingly against council leader Stephen Alambritis’ refusal to increase council tax in order to lessen cuts on adult social care.

Under powers unveiled in the November spending review, local councils are now able to raise council tax by up to two per cent in order to specifically fund adult social care.

Raising the council tax in Merton would, on average, cost 5p extra a day for those in the lowest band and 15p extra for those in the highest, and could raise £1.7 million.

However, at a Labour meeting on January 11, Coun Alambritis and 24 other councillors voted against the raise and to push ahead with plans to slash the adult social care budget by £5 million.

The vote, put forward by Coun Alambritis, was seconded by the cabinet member for adult social care and health Caroline Cooper-Marbiah.

Speaking on January 26 of his promise to keep council tax frozen for four years, Coun Alambritis said: “It’s our decision we keep that promise and do what we can to safeguard adult social care at the same time.

“I don’t think the electorate would take kindly to promises being broken. The majority of the Labour group are with me.”

Three separate motions submitted on the subject were easily carried at the Labour party meeting on Thursday, January 28.

The first resolution called for the party to “emphasise the excessive Tory cuts to council finding which have inflicted unprecedented damage”, to raise public awareness of the damage caused by the cuts to Adult Social Care and to campaign to raise council tax by two per cent.

It also personally called on Coun Alambritis to allow Labour councillors a free vote on the cuts as a matter of conscience.

The second resolution also backed the raising of council tax, stating: “while acknowledging the flaws in council tax as a tax, and recognising the pledges we made at the last local election to freeze council tax, we believe the goalposts have changed.”

The final resolution stated that Abbey and Trinity wards urge the council to conduct a detailed consultation into the raise.

However, despite widespread support for the motions, Coun Alambritis and Coun Cooper-Marbiah voted against them.

Labour party member Rory O’Donovan, who helped care for his disabled brother, addressed the group, along with other representatives from carers and care services.

He told the Wimbledon Guardian: “I believe that the planned cuts to social care are wrong, both on moral and financial grounds.

“By cutting support for carers the council risks pushing carers past breaking point, and if this happens the council will have to foot the bill for, what is now, unpaid care.

“I truly hope that Coun Alambritis changes his mind and finds savings other than in adult social care.”