Wimbledon MP: “Labour has given up on Merton”

Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler has accused Merton Labour of “hypocrisy” and “political posturing” over community policing. Labour repeatedly failed to defend Wimbledon police station during key consultations, and now Merton is about to be left with no police front counters after the local Labour leadership took no action until closures were already decided.

Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler, backed by Merton Liberal Democrats, has accused Merton Labour of “hypocrisy” and “political posturing” over community policing, criticising their repeated failure to defend Wimbledon and Mitcham police stations in the wake of the Mayor of London’s decision to close both their front counters. He also pointed out that, whilst Sadiq Khan has listened to the Labour Council leaders in 8 other London boroughs, and belatedly found the money to reverse his decision to close their police station front counters, he has not done so in Merton - because London  Labour has effectively “given up on Merton” ahead of next May’s local elections in which Merton is a key target for the Lib Dems across the Capital.

Speaking at last night’s Council meeting, Mr Kohler said Labour’s claims to care about policing and pledges of action were contradicted by years of inertia and failure to stand up for local policing, both during his legal action that stopped Wimbledon Police station’s closure in 2018 and in all the Mayor’s subsequent police station closure consultations. This has left Merton residents without vital services, including the loss of both the borough’s police station front counters as a result of the Labour Mayor’s cuts.

In response Merton Liberal Democrats advocated an evidence-based, practical approach to restoring community policing across the borough.

Commenting, Mr Kohler said:

“Labour has given up on Merton, we’re on our own. Their only suggestion last night to meet the BCU Commander is a limp and empty gesture which they should be doing already; yet another attempt to close the stable door after the police horse has bolted.”

“Let’s be clear: the Conservatives under Boris Johnson halved London’s police stations, and Labour did exactly the same. Yet Sadiq Khan still promised a 24-hour police counter in every borough in last year’s Mayor of London elections before breaking his promise within months of his election. He subsequently found the money to reverse his decision to close the front counters in eight Labour-run boroughs…but not in Merton. London Labour has given up on Merton because they think it’s a lost cause.”

“A Lib Dem-run council would use our limited resources strategically and fight to rebuild visible, accessible neighbourhood policing. And, come May, that is exactly what we will do.”

You can watch the council meeting here