The new Conservative leadership of Wandsworth Council has accused the previous Labour administration, led by Cllr Simon Hogg, of significant taxpayer-funded expenditures, including a rebranding exercise that cost thousands of pounds. Among the highlighted costs are £700 for a door sign and £600 for personalized greeting cards, according to the incoming Tory leader, Cllr Peter Graham.
The spending spree also reportedly included £825,000 for a leader's office with six staff and a delivery unit, and an additional £25,000 for a second office within the borough's headquarters. The Labour administration also allocated £84,000 for consultants to lobby the Labour government regarding funding.
Cllr Graham stated that the council received what he described as "the worst cash settlement for any council in the country" and is now considering record council tax increases to balance its budget. He presented fellow councillors with examples of the branded merchandise, including the door sign and greeting cards, produced under the previous administration.
Further branded items listed by the Conservative leader include tote bags costing £6,925, water bottles at £7,790, baseball caps for £1,760, umbrellas for £1,575, T-shirts for £8,339, and mugs for £890. External signs around the town hall amounted to £11,324, and a reception refurbishment, including staff uniforms, cost £10,569.
Additionally, the council is facing a £240,000 cost to cancel a deal for a new office in Nine Elms, a plan initiated by the former Labour leadership. Cllr Graham noted that the council owns its current town hall and does not pay rent, making the proposed move to a rented space during the refurbishment of the listed building economically questionable.
Former Labour council leader Cllr Hogg has disputed these claims, calling them "plainly misleading statements about the council's finances." He defended the office situation, stating the town hall was "the worst office building in Wandsworth," and found the focus on logos "embarrassing."
As the council confronts potential increases in council tax, with some reports suggesting up to a 160 percent hike, the Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has attributed a £137 million budget gap to the former Labour administration, alongside a 40 percent cut in government funding.