A Wimbledon Community Forum meeting descended into a heated row between an ex councillor and the Leader of Merton Council this week.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, September 21 in the Trinity United Reform Church in Mansel Road, erupted into an argument between an ex Labour councillor and former cabinet member for education Peter Walker and Leader of the Council Councillor Stephen Alambritis.
Mr Walker has been a key campaigner against plans for a new secondary school in south Wimbledon. Speaking after the meeting, he said he told Cllr Alambritis he was angry not a single Labour councillor attended a protest meeting about the school on Monday, September 19.
September 22: Protests over new Harris Wimbledon secondary school condemned by councillors as based on 'incomplete' and 'inaccurate' leaks
South Wimbledon resident Andrew Boyce, of Morden Road, was at the meeting and described the altercation as an ‘almighty row’, and said: “It was very heated.
“There was a lot of anger directed towards [Councillor] Andrew Judge and [Councillor] Stephen Alambritis, both from Peter Walker and local residents.
“It certainly livened up the normally peaceful community forum. It was quite a spectacle.”
Speaking the next day, Mr Walker said: “I told Stephen the real concern at Monday’s meeting is that people think they can’t trust the words you say.
“He has got to realise that at Monday’s meeting there were 60 people, and last night there were about 60 again, and what they are all saying is there has been a complete breakdown in trust. They are building a school without telling anyone.
“There was a hostility towards him in the room which I hadn’t seen before. I think Stephen wasn’t a happy bunny.”
Conservative councillors took to social media to discuss the argument, with Councillor Linda Taylor describing ‘heated debate and criticism’ and Councillor Daniel Holden writing: ‘Wimbledon Community Forum turned into Labour on Labour attacks’.
Heated debate&criticism of labourcouncil at Wimbledon Comm Forum about the siting ofnew sec school in https://t.co/M1wSZ1IFQZ @MertonTories
— Linda Taylor (@LindaJCTaylor) September 21, 2016
Wimbledon Community Forum turned into labour on labour attacks, over various issues in South Wimbledon. @Merton_Council @MertonTories
— Cllr Daniel Holden (@DanHolden85) September 21, 2016
Labour politicians arguing in public at Wimbledon forum I suppose is the new normal under Comrade Jezza. Glad I swim in the serene blue seas
— David Dean (@daviddean) September 21, 2016
We now seem to be in a Labour Party meeting where they are arguing amongst themselves
— Merton Lib Dems (@MertonLibDems) September 21, 2016
Whilst councillors and ex-councillors argued with each other at tonight's Wimbledon Community Forum, Otto slept throughout most of it. pic.twitter.com/TnkPCGJqnn
— Andrew (@mehbo) September 21, 2016
However, Cllr Alambritis insisted that the meeting was productive, and that he welcomes difficult questions.
He said: “People are invited to turn up to meetings and ask any questions of the council and the leader of the council. They have every right. But people always come up to me after these meetings and say ‘you’re doing a good job, keep it up’
“If the chairman of these meetings allows the meeting to be dominated by people who either agree or disagree with the speaker – and in this case it was disagree – that means that people who feel differently don’t think they can speak up.
“At least two parents came up to me at the end and said they agreed with me but hadn’t been able to speak. They said ‘please stick with your guns, please, please make sure the secondary school happens’.
“There was no hostility or bad language or shouting. Peter Walker is passionate. He’s a former councillor, a former cabinet member for education. He’s passionate in his views. He speaks articulately. I was able to respond. There’s no problem there.”
Cllr Alambritis also defended the council against accusations of secrecy in their handling of the new school proposals, and said: “We have a duty to get the best possible deal for council tax payers. If we around saying ‘this is the space we want’, the owners will put their prices up and we will have to pay more.
“If people want to go around leaking things and not care or be mindful about the cost to the tax payer, that’s up to them. If they want to say it’s a secret, they can say that. I would say we’re protecting the council tax payer.
“Once all the information is out we will have as many meetings as necessary, because then the full facts can be given.”
What do you think? Email letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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