Nick McLean: Merton Council is one of 12 Labour-run councils in London that they are at risk of losing control of

Cllr Nick McLean is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Merton Council

The London Borough of Merton has much to be proud of. It has a world-class sporting heritage, international recognition, and some of the finest green spaces in the capital. Yet today it is run by a tired, complacent, and increasingly unpopular Labour administration.

Across Merton, frustration is growing – and rightly so. Council Tax is high due to the ruling Labour administration’s maximum increases over recent years. Residents are paying more year after year, yet they are seeing declining services, deteriorating streets, and a council increasingly distracted by ideology rather than delivery.

This is not an isolated local problem. It reflects the same failing Labour mindset we see across London and in Westminster. From Sadiq Khan’s endlessly rising mayoral precept added to Council Tax bills, to Labour’s national tax-and-spend instincts, families and businesses are being squeezed harder while value for money disappears. Labour’s answer to every challenge is always the same: tax more, spend more, and blame someone else when it doesn’t work.

This cycle of Council Tax rises and worsening services will be exacerbated in future due to the Fair Funding Review cutting £13.4 million from Merton’s grant funding over the next few years.

And the Liberal Democrats? They offer no solution, because they fundamentally agree with Labour on the big issues.

The Lib Dems backed Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion without hesitation and refused to support previous Conservative proposals for a Council Tax rebate to help struggling residents. When Conservative councillors challenged the council’s budget – asking basic, responsible questions about costs, productivity, and benefits to taxpayers – the Lib Dems had little to contribute beyond complaints about the lack of “gender-neutral language” in council documents. While residents worry about bills, crime, and public services, the Lib Dems are focused on virtue-signalling and box-ticking.

Conservatives stand for something very different. We believe in lower taxes, efficient public services, law and order, and freedom of choice. We believe councils exist to serve residents, not to lecture them, micromanage their lives, or waste money on ideological vanity projects.

Labour’s record in Merton speaks for itself. A never-ending war on motorists that punishes working people. An attempt to block much-needed investment in our local hospital through legal action. Time, money, and effort squandered while the basics are neglected.

A council should do its job well: collect the bins, clean the streets, fix the potholes and pavements, and keep council finances under control. Beyond that, it should step back and allow individuals and families to decide how best to live their lives – with more of their own money kept in their pockets. That is the Conservative approach, and it is one that resonates strongly with Merton residents.

Merton residents are recognising that Conservative councillors focus on what really matters: reliable local services, responsible financial management, and public safety – not niche distractions or ideological posturing.

Public safety, in particular, is now a defining issue. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have presided over the downgrading of police stations, and they support policies that lead to fewer criminals behind bars. Conservatives are clear and unapologetic: we will back the police, tackle crime, and stand up for law-abiding residents. A strong Conservative presence on the council is essential if Merton is to remain a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.

It is also important to be honest about the role of Reform. Reform cannot win in Merton. Their vote share remains small, they have nothing to say on the big local issues, and the only practical effect of their presence is to risk splitting the centre-right vote, handing power to Labour and the Liberal Democrats by default.

The choice facing Merton residents could not be clearer. Labour offers the politics of envy and ever-higher taxes. The Liberal Democrats offer the politics of victimhood and virtue-signalling. The Greens offer student politics disconnected from the realities of local government. Reform offers the politics of grievance without the ability to deliver. Only the Conservatives offer hope, aspiration, competence, and common sense.

This matters not just for the next local elections, but for the long-term direction of our borough and our country. Local government is where political momentum is built, where bad ideas can be challenged, and where Conservative values can be put into practice in people’s everyday lives.

On May 7th, Merton needs a strong, confident Conservative voice on the council – one that will challenge Labour failure, expose Lib Dem opportunism, and stand up for residents who simply want a council to focus on delivering core services.

That is what Merton Conservatives are fighting for.