Furious Labour councillor Stephen Cowan branded Hammersmith and Fulham Mayor Adronie Alford a 'puppet', as tensions at a council meeting boiled over.
In an astonishing outburst which drew gasps from his colleagues and a packed public gallery, the Labour leader pointed his finger and also warned Ms Alford she'd be the 'first Mayor(in H&F) with a vote of no confidence'.
He was furious after the Conservatives elected not to debate three 'special motions' at the back of the agenda, chief among them the future of the threatened Threshold Housing Advice organisation.
Members of the scheme had attended the meeting expecting a debate but the Tories said the matter shouldn't have been in the document and was actually up for discussion next month.
Mr Cowan called on the Mayor to rule one way or the other but was left 'astonished' when, in what he described as an 'unprecented' decision, she put the matter to vote, which was won by her majority-ruling Tory colleagues. He later labelled the process 'undemocratic'.
Responding to Mr Cowan's attack, an incredulous Mayor shouted back: "How dare you be so rude to me', and demanded he withdraw his comments, which, after being calmed down by colleagues, he did.
Labour councillor for White City, Colin Aherne, said the Tories were 'rapidly running an elected dictatorship'.
The row followed stormy exchanges over the council's Local Development Framework (LDF) document, which lays out its vision for the borough for the next thirty years.
Residents from the threatened White City Estate were in attendance and stuck 'Save Batman Close' posters to the front of the viewing gallery and once more the issue of social housing was top of the bill, with various Labour speakers accusing the council of pricing the poor out of the borough.
Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh says the council wants to build nearly 12,000 new homes, but Labour, claiming 65% of the borough's residents earn below the national average, say the homes will not be affordable.
Mr Cowan, referring to estates like West Kensington, Gibbs Green and White City, all of which are earmarked for 'regeneration', said: "We think you want to move the people out who live here and get new people in when you could be helping them to have a better home."
Shepherd's Bush Green councillor Andrew Jones said a pledge in the document to move tenants within 'the area' was 'arrogant' and vague.
"In the area could mean anywhere - it could mean Hounslow," he said. "This document is about breaking up communities and dispensing with community networks. It is going to do enormous damage."
Hammersmith Broadway councillor Michael Cartwright accused the Tories of 'social engineering', saying: "People will not be able to look at this and say it is going to protect them from developers.
"Cuts to housing benefits mean residents will no longer be able to cover housing costs."
Wesley Harcourt, councillor for Old Oak and College Park, said there would simply be 'more market homes for the rich'.
Other criticisms included a lack of focus on crime, the sell off of services around Sands End and plans to regenerate Hammersmith town centre. There were also fears raised about the future of North End Road Market.
Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh accused Labour of ignoring the facts and talking 'rambling nonsense'.
He said: "I want to improve the borough and do the best we can for everyone. It (the LDF) clearly says we want to increase the number of homes, the number of affordable homes will be greater and we are not going to reduce the amount of social housing for rent.
"We are not ending the rights of social tenants and we are not moving them out of this borough.
"Labour just chose not to understand that."
