Coventry City Council approved an emergency cuts package of £4.5 million on 10 August, with only a single vote against. The dissenting councillor was Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist. Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat councillors all voted in favour.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Nellist said: “When the real impact of these cuts is felt in services for children, young people and some of the most vulnerable communities in Coventry, there will be outrage that all the other councillors were united in passing these cuts. The people of Coventry did not cause this economic crisis, it was the bankers, their gambling and speculation. The people of Coventry should not have to pay this price in cuts in services and jobs.
“This is just the start of a massive attack on huge swathes of essential public services. The council’s Chief Executive and the local Labour leadership are currently making plans for £146 million worth of cuts over the next four years to comply with the national Tory/LibDem government’s demands.
“It’s no good individual councillors lamenting their role in these cuts, we need a campaign of Poll-Tax proportions in Coventry and every town and city across the country, to force the national government to reverse its course”.
