A Lib Dem councillor was accused of crying "crocodile tears" at a cabinet meeting in Ealing where cuts of £14.7m were agreed for the next three years.
Ealing Council 's cabinet, on Tuesday (November 24) at the Town Hall, agreed the cost cutting measures that contribute to an anticipated overall saving of £205m from 2010 to 2020.
It was agreed by cabinet that the £14.7m should be saved through developing alternative care options, renegotiating social contracts, seeking more foster carers reviewing its Youth and Connexions services and increasing uptake of disposal contracts.
But Liberal Democrat councillor Gary Malcolm took objection to the council's decision to seek amendment to its Council Tax Support Scheme, labelling the move as unfair.
Mr Malcolm told the cabinet: "All four options are not one that is at all good.
"I do not think these options are fair. Will the cabinet agree to have a review about this, can you review some of these?"
He was referring to how, from four options the council said followed public consultation, option 1 was identified as the most suitable, which will increase earnings for disregard for working households.
It will also increase maximum Council Tax Support available to people who have been receiving income based Jobseekers Allowance for more than 12 months from 70% to 75% of their council tax liability.
But it will reduce the maximum Council Tax Support available to vulnerable households from 100% to 91.5% of their council tax liability and it will increase the non-dependant charges - the contribution expected from other members of the household - by £6 per week for all categories.
A decision on the proposals has not yet taken place, and will be considered at a meeting of full council in December, coming into affect on April 1, 2016, if agreed.
If adopted, the changes would save around £900,000, but this is not included in the £14.7m to be saved over the next three years because the saving was already built into savings proposals brought forward earlier in the year.
Council leader Julian Bell responded to Mr Malcolm by accusing him of crying "crocodile tears," saying the cost-cutting decisions were the result of decisions made by the coalition government, Conservatives and Lib Dems, the councillor supported from 2010 to 2015.
Mr Bell said: "I'm afraid those are crocodile tears you are crying Gary because it was the Tories (together with Lib Dems) that have put us in this difficult position.
"We are trying to do the best of a bad situation and trying to go with the least worst option."
After the £14.7 is saved over the next three years, the council anticipate they will have to save at least another £37m by April 2020, totalling £205m - meaning they have half of what they had to spend in 2010.
Councillor Yvonne Johnson, cabinet member for finance, performance and customer services, said: “I can speak for all of my colleagues on the cabinet when I say we have spent months deliberating these decisions."
