Labour have accused Ealing's Conservatives of using the Mayoral Charity for a party political stunt before the general election next month.

On Wednesday (April 15), Ealing's Tories announced that they have given Labour’s 1% councillor allowances increase to the Mayor’s Charity.

Conservative councillors voted against the increase on the grounds that members should not be rewarding themselves at the expense of services for residents.

However, Labour's council leader Jullian Bell fought back with a reminder that Tories hiked up councillors' allowances by 15% when they were in power.

Ealing’s opposition leader, Greg Stafford, has highlighted the fact that soon after being elected the Labour administration voted themselves a 1% pay increase equivalent to £64,000, while closing a number of key front-line services such as Carlton Road Day Centre and threatening to close the Solace Centre.

He said: “Conservative councillors voted against the 1% increase in allowances, arguing instead that the money would have been better off spent on services for residents.

“The only fair and decent course of action was, therefore, to donate this increase, which equates to £1,672 to the Mayor’s charity.

“We are delighted to help boost the Mayor’s charity fund.”

Ealing’s Labour leader, Mr Bell, said: “When the Tories were last in power they hiked up councillors’ allowances by 15% at a cost to the taxpayer of £150,000 a year.

"Labour, in contrast, voluntarily froze councillors’ allowances for the last four years and have this year made savings of £137,000 from the councillors support budget which more than covers the £11,000 cost of this very small increase of 1%.

“Labour members choose to generously support the Mayor’s charities throughout the year and we don’t believe in using the charitable work of the Mayor for party political stunts just before an election."