Ellie Ormsby

“WILL you be raising council tax by 95 per cent like your friends in Wandsworth are?”

That was the question from Labour leader Ellie Ormsby to Westminster City Council’s leader at a full council meeting on Wednesday.

Tory-run Wandsworth announced this week that council tax could almost double, and Westminster is expected to follow suit following a survey launched in the summer.

Cllr Paul Swaddle refused to rule out the crippling hike, saying “we are talking to residents about the changes we will need to make. We have been absolutely clear council tax will rise and we will have to make cuts”.

Once again, a huge amount of time and energy in the meeting was wasted with councillors trading blows over each other’s record, and blaming governments of the past for making mistakes and bad decisions.

Labour’s Connor Jones asked about the future of Paddington Library, to which Conservative Robert Rigby, cabinet member for civic pride, said: “We are going to embellish the libraries. We are going to boost them. And make sure they really are at the heart of the community. They will remain open at times the community wants.”

Paul Swaddle

Labour’s Fiona Parker asked about lack of support during the winter due to a recent cut by the Conservative administration, leading to criticism of the Labour government by the council’s finance lead councillor Paul Fisher.

During questions from the public, Monica Hill called for a resolution to a six-year ongoing dispute about drug dealer deterrent railings at Rivermill in Grosvenor Road on the banks of the Thames, Pimlico. The project has so far cost residents more than £50,000 in planning and legal costs, and promises that costs would be covered by council budgets have not been forthcoming, she said. “They were formerly recommended to mitigate severe public safety,” she said.

City council deputy leader Caroline Sargent said: “Given the complexity of the situation we’d like to offer a meeting with residents as soon as possible.”

Conservative David Harvey spoke about a 20-year wait for council housing and the policy of providing so much temporary accommodation out of the borough, and said: “I’d love to give everyone a home in Westminster. I’d love personally to win the lottery.” The council’s head of housing clearly had the Winnie-the-Pooh book 100-year publication anniversary on his mind.

Responding to a question about poor bin collection service at Russell House, Cllr Harvey said: “If I move quickly to the bins. We are shortly going to be starting a trial in which the bins will be coming out for how long… tiddely-pom… 12 weeks.”

The “tiddely-pom” nonsense phrase and song is from AA Milne’s book The House at Pooh Corner, and sung by Pooh and Piglet as they walk in the snow.