Stop council cuts

The savage implications of the cuts-cuts-cuts mantra of New Labour, Tories and the LibDems are clear even before the general election. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimates that local councils are budgeting for cuts of up to 170,000 jobs! No wonder local campaigns are springing up all over the country.

The government has drawn up a ten-point plan to help councils 'protect' frontline services. It is doubtful that even the authors of this plan believe these "radical efficiency reforms" will do anything other than devastate vital services.

Local opposition

But they must not get away with it. Birmingham council plans to shed £75 million from the city's budget threatening 2,000 jobs. There is no doubt that services will seriously deteriorate with fewer staff. But 150 trade unionists and anti-cuts protesters braved ice cold weather and driving snow to demonstrate against this slaughtering of services.

On Wednesday 24 February Kirklees council met to endorse £400 million in budget cuts. Leeds city council is poised to shed 300 jobs, in addition to approximately 1,200 over the past six years.

But as Kirklees council were undermining a community, trade unionists, socialists, and "generally concerned citizens" protested against the cuts under the banner of 'Save Our Services', a grassroots campaign group.

A vigorous campaign of industrial action, backed up with community campaigns, is urgently needed in every area to defend public services.