Matter of trust: fitness instructor John Jones is disillusioned with the Tories
(Picture: Lucy Young)“Four years ago we were written off,” recalls Ravi Govindia, Tory leader of Wandsworth council — the Conservatives’ flagship London borough. “Sadiq Khan came to the count wanting to have a huge celebration and he ran off.”
Despite winning the popular vote in 2018 and gaining seven councillors, Labour’s hopes of seizing control of a council that has been Tory run since 1978 came up short. This time Labour hopes the maelstrom around Boris Johnson, parties in Downing Street and the cost of living crisis will tip the balance in their favour.
“There are people who are angry and people are agonising,” admits Mr Govindia, below, who has served on the council for 40 years and led it since 2011.
“It’s uncomfortable for people.” But ultimately he hopes the borough’s low council tax — it’s the second lowest in the country after Westminster — and record of delivery over 44 years will overcome partygate.
“People see this as a transactional arrangement,” he adds. “They pay and they get.”
Although Labour officials are desperate to play down their chances, insisting 2018 was a high-water mark for the party, they do appear to have the momentum.
They have steadily added seats in every election here since 2010, doubling their number of councillors from 13 to 26 out of 60.
But a redrawing of the wards for these elections makes the result unpredictable. While the overall number of seats has fallen by two to 58, it is not clear how the distribution of wards and councillors may influence the result.
How people vote in the newly created Wandle ward could be crucial in determining the outcome. Stretching from Earlsfield to the more affluent residential streets nearer Wandsworth Common, Labour believes it has to win the two seats up for grabs in Wandle to take control.
For some Labour voters like John Jones, a 30-year-old fitness trainer, partygate is the big factor.
“It’s about integrity and trust,” he says as he chats to Labour campaigners on St Ann’s Hill. “Even hardened Tories are saying this can’t carry on.”
A short drive away in the centre of Wandsworth, Kate Bodel says it’s about more core local issues like youth services, bins and crime.
“You pay the lowest council tax but there are no bins anywhere anymore,” the 50-year-old teacher and writer says, standing outside the Southside shopping centre.
“You always used to feel safe here but there’s a lot of social unrest starting to brew.” She says large groups of teenagers gathering in the shopping centre can be intimidating. “We get messages from our secondary school saying don’t go to Southside,” she says.
Despite Labour’s pledges to improve neighbourhoods, tackle air pollution and push for more affordable homes, some voters doubt whether the party can provide all the answers.
Balasundaram Lavan, 44, says he is a lifelong Labour voter but is worried that the party isn’t realistic. “When Labour went to Corbyn their manifesto was like kids in a sweetshop,” the finance worker says. In the end he thinks people will still be swayed by a low council tax.
This is why the Conservatives campaign highlights how residents pay an average council tax of £866 compared with £1,660 and £1,781 in Labour boroughs Lambeth and Merton.
It’s also why Simon Hogg, leader of Wandsworth Labour, stresses that his party is committed to matching the Tories by keeping council tax low.
Mr Hogg also understands how victory here this week could have wider implications for Mr Johnson’s future.
“When we first went out we thought this would be a cost of living election,” he says.
“But we found partygate has cut through. We’ve not had to bring it up.”
Asked how would it feel if Labour were to finally turn Wandsworth red, Mr Hogg adds: “This is Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council. It would be a huge blow to Boris Johnson if Wandsworth went Labour.”
