Southampton

Save our Services!

IN SOUTHAMPTON, Socialists are backing the building of a united campaign of taxpayers and council workers to stop over £6 million worth of cuts. Southampton Save our Services (SOS) members are standing in the 3 May elections. Nick Chaffey (Socialist Alternative - Save our Services) is standing in Bevois ward and Neil Kelly (Save our Services) in Portswood ward.

Victories can be won when the community and trade unions mobilise against cuts. The campaign over the last four years to save St Mary's Leisure Centre recently won the £250,000 refurbishment of the centre.

The joint action of trade unions, community groups and SOS recently forced the council to withdraw some cuts but the council budget retains massive cuts to services which still threaten jobs.

SOS opposes all cuts to local services and plans to privatise. We believe the council budget deficit should be met by central government funding. We need to fight for it.

* Full support for the care workers and all council workers taking action to defend job and services.

* No to privatisation.

* No redundancies and no cuts in services.

* For a council budget that meets the real needs of the city, fully funded by central government.

Nick Chaffey