I was concerned to read the letter from Laurie Lee (Staggered by leader, November 20) that was heavily critical of Stephen Alambritis, the leader of Merton Council. In regard to which it is important that people get their facts right when they engage in personal attacks. Including attacks on me.

Firstly, I became involved with politics in Merton when my partner became very ill, and I was therefore living at St Helier hospital at the same time that Siobhain McDonagh raised £244,000 for their M2 unit. The money paid for the unit completely. To date something in the region of 800 lives have been saved by that unit. Then, when my partner needed expensive medical care, that I could not afford, it was Stephen Alambritis who put her into the BUPA nursing home. She lived five very happy years before peacefully passing away in her sleep. Readers of the Sutton Guardian are well aware that hardly a day goes by without the local Liberal Democrats trying to take credit for what Siobhain did. And those are the same coalition politicians who are currently conspiring with their Tory masters to try and close the hospital's most vital emergency services. The only time they are not doing that is when they are assisting the various Communist extremists who are forever attempting to throw the Labour Group off Merton Council. There is nothing new in the fact that Communists attack the Labour Party. Whoever they pretend to be. There are not many of them but they are an infernal nuisance.

The time I first met Siobhain I was actually a right-wing Tory. I was forced to make a moral choice and support her and the Labour council because I realised that there was no other choice I could make. There still isn't. I see what these people do every single day of the week. Our council earned the award for being the most successful and best run local authority in Great Britain. It has the finest leader, the finest councillors and the very best social services departments in this country.

Contrary to what Laurie Lee stated, so-called free schools represent no significant financial loss for the council. In many ways the reverse is true. I'm all in favour of comprehensive schools but they cost a huge amount of money to set up and run properly. The money for such a vast project does not exist. As the Wimbledon Guardian has regularly pointed out, for the benefit of anybody who can actually read, the Tory and Lib Dem government has cut in excess of 75% of Merton's overall budget. this leaves our council with less than 30% of its projected minimum budget requirement for education and our vital social services.

Michael Barltrop

Via email

 

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