Labour councillors have been accused of "Stalinist politics" after a last minute adjournment of a council meeting left dozens of vulnerable and elderly residents unable to voice their concerns over crippling care charges.
The extraordinary meeting was called to discuss an increase in hourly home care charges from £7.50 to £17.50 since last September which has left many residents having to cancel their care packages.
With more than 50 such residents in attendance at the meeting on Thursday, April 24, Labour councillors would not debate the issue at hand and immediately voted to adjourn the meeting.
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Stockwell pensioner Catherine Kearns, 82, who has had to cancel the physiotherapy care she received as a result of the hikes in charges, said she was shocked at the councillors' behaviour.
"There were residents there suffering as a result of their policies and they refused to hear them."
Catherine Kearns
She said: "There were residents there suffering as a result of their policies and they refused to hear them."
"I was shocked. It was like Stalinist politics," she added. "It made me so angry that they would just ignore us like that."
Although Labour councillor and Lambeth mayor Angela Meader sanctioned the meeting eight days before, the Labour councillors said they voted to adjourn because they did not want to be forced into rash budget changes.
Financial implications of reducing charges had to be considered before any reduction could go ahead, they said.
Liberal Democrat councillors intended to table plans to drop care charges to £10 an hour.
Party leader Ashley Lumsden said he was disgusted with the Labour councillors' behaviour.
He said: "Everyone was there and ready to debate this key issue for the borough, and yet they ignored the people they represent. What a way to run a council."
The council executive will discuss the care charges at its July financial review. The council has suspended a proposed increase in the charge to £20 until it is discussed then.
Coun Meader said she had made a mistake in sanctioning the meeting.
She had earlier refused a request for an extraordinary council meeting demanded by protestors against proposals to adapt Herne Hill Junction.
The controversial plans involve the removal of more than 1,000 square metres of land from Brockwell Park.
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