EXCLUSIVE: Amid allegations of racism, harassment and Islamophobia, a sordid little spat between two elected councillors has ended up with one (brief) suspension, another councillor’s resignation and a lengthy rant on social media that failed to give the whole story. Our Sutton investigations editor, CARL SHILTON, reports
Repeated complaints: Labour councillor Sheldon Vestey
Sheldon Vestey, the leader of the Labour group on Sutton Council, today resorted to social media to accuse a “suspended” Conservative councillor, Steve Alvarez, of sharing racist content, sexual harassment and intimidation.
Vestey’s very public move came after a series of detailed questions put to him by Inside Sutton which sought to get to the bottom of a simmering spat between councillors – including a dispute within Sutton Council’s Labour group of three, now two, councillors.
The statement issued today comes just a fortnight after his deputy leader, Sheila Berry, resigned from the council because she could no longer work with Vestey. “In the end it became too much,” she is reported to have told a colleague.
Berry’s resignation has triggered a by-election on May 2 in St Helier West – the same ward where Alvarez is a councillor. Probably just a coincidence…
The simmering controversy at the council could have far-reaching ramifications because Vestey has included in his allegations criticism of Tom Drummond, the leader of the largest opposition group on Sutton Council. Drummond is a short-listed candidate for the Tories’ parliamentary selection in Sutton and Cheam, and hopeful of replacing Paul Scully as the area’s MP at the General Election.
Nuffink to see ‘ere, guv: the statement issued today by Cllr Vestey, after detailed questions from Inside Sutton
Inside Sutton has pieced together some of the events and playground tit-for-tat allegations that our elected representatives have occupied themselves with, ostensibly while serving their residents on the Liberal Democrat-controlled council.
It is not a matter of any dispute that Alvarez has been suspended by the Conservative Party over the last few weeks, though only for a very brief period. Inside Sutton understands that at no point did Alvarez have the Conservative whip removed on Sutton Council.
The suspension arose after Vestey made a complaint to Conservative Party HQ in January. It was just the latest in a long series of related complaints he has made about Alvarez, including on three separate occasions to the Metropolitan Police and to Sutton Council, as well as various hate crime agencies and, it seems, anyone who would listen.
This is his first complaint to be upheld, but Alvarez has told Inside Sutton that he has appealed the decision because he was prevented from filing a full defence. He maintains that he is not guilty of the allegations.
Disputed: Cllr Steve Alvarez is appealing against his suspnesion
Alvarez’s suspension was lifted almost immediately after he undertook “online training”.
Alvarez and Vestey, who represents Hackbridge ward, were both elected to the council for the first time in May 2022.
For the past two years there has been an almost constant public spat going on between the pair, usually conducted on social media, often with “pile-ons”, seemingly organised by Vestey’s Labour colleagues. Councillors from Sutton’s other political groups appear to agree that Vestey’s campaign has become an unhealthy personal vendetta.
In the statement he issued today, Vestey sought to allege that Alvarez has form for his behaviour. “Whilst I welcome the severe rebuke and suspension of Cllr Alvarez by the Conservative Party following my complaint of sexual harassment and intimidation, I am deeply concerned that similar conduct has been directed at two members of the public,” wrote Vestey. Inside Sutton is investigating these allegations.
Today, Vestey claimed that he was “initially alerted” in May 2022 by a resident that Alvarez had shared racist content online. Alvarez denies this. And investigations by Inside Sutton have found Vestey discussing the same content with another Labour member on a Facebook group in 2020 – two years earlier.
In November 2023, on X/Twitter, Vestey accused Alvarez of posting a “naked” photo of him that was taken in his teens, implying that Alvarez may be engaging in “child pornography”.
Vestey told Inside Sutton: “I am not aware of this image being on my social media and have looked extensively. My social media is private and I do not, and have never posted naked photographs of myself online.”
Unsocial media: the naked images were originally posted 10 years ago
But, again, Inside Sutton has found evidence that Vestey did post the photo on his own Facebook page, in 2014.
Alvarez has hardly covered himself in glory, by responding to Vestey’s goading.
Indeed, some council figures are beginning to become worried by Vestey’s behaviour.
Before he was ever elected to the council, while he was chair of his residents’ association, Vestey made frequent complaints about the conduct against himself by Ben Andrew, when he was a Liberal Democrat councillor, including harassment, care tyres being slashed and other threats.
In his statement today, Vestey claimed to have been advised by the police to suspend his public appearances. “Whilst I can’t speak for the others impacted, this has taken a toll on our family life and health, with time being taken off from council work impacting our residents. It is alarming to be pursued in such a manner, and have an opposition politician demonstrate such an unhealthy obsession with our lives.”
Read more: Drummond heads three-strong Tory list for Sutton and Cheam
Read more: Community volunteer Thomas to run for Labour in St Helier
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