The Socialist 3 October 2012

Let's get a million on the streets, then a 24-hour general strike

Tory education policy: 'This is just about making cuts isn't it?'

Building the fightback in the universities

Suspended student union president continues fight for reinstatement

NUT activists prepare for action

Barnfield College, Luton: Kick private profit out of education

Partial victory for international students at London Metropolitan

No to slave labour in universities

Europe: Class struggle returns with a bang

South Africa: Solidarity with miners

Algerian war of independence 1954-1962

Action against Profit From Illness!

South West NHS workers want action against 'pay cartel'

Save Greater Manchester mental healthcare

Cut the Con-Dems - not our NHS!

Bin workers calling indefinite strike brought results

Day of Action to save HMRC nurseries

Crossrail flashmob blocks London's Oxford Street

Arts and culture workers need to fight back

The fight of all our lives - For a 24-hour general strike

Councillors must resist all Tory cuts

Thousands march for an independent Scotland

March for Jobs in Scotland

Rape is No Joke campaign discussed

Scotland: Lamont throws Labour Party into crisis

Sickened by Labour conference? Build the anti-cuts alternative!

Council tax benefit - new and not improved

Squatting conviction paves way for rise in homelessness




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Councillors must resist all Tory cuts

Southampton

Nick Chaffey, Southampton Socialist Party, wrote the following letter to the Independent in reply to an article by Owen Jones

Owen Jones is right that Labour councillors must refuse to implement Tory cuts but he is wrong when he uncritically echoes Labour councillors' timid response that they would be replaced by Eric Pickles and his cronies if they did so.

Firstly Labour councillors would be heroes for taking such a stand and gain huge support. Secondly they would face no financial or legal penalties for doing so.

The maximum penalty, if the government dared go so far, would be to remove councillors from office for five years. New elections would hardly return Tory councillors to carry out cuts.

If shadow secretary for Local Government, Hilary Benn, made a clear commitment that an incoming Labour government would restore council reserves and any borrowing made to protect services, the Tories' plans would be sunk.

Facing mass opposition, Eric Pickles would not be able to march in triumph to take over council chambers countrywide. The road is clear.

That Labour councillors almost to a man or woman do the Tories' dirty work suggests anyone relying on being rescued by Red Ed's cavalry will likely end up surrounded by the wreckage of the austerity agenda.

In Southampton, two Labour councillors bravely refused to betray their election commitments and opposed voting for Labour cuts and the closure of their local swimming pool.

Their reward has been huge support from their community, council workers and their unions Unite and Unison.

Have Southampton Labour group seized the moment to fight back? Sadly no. The rebel councillors were suspended for three months, gagged while the Labour group prepares a budget to implement £28 million cuts next year. Some protection from the cuts!

Over the last two years anti-cuts candidates under the banner of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition have stood across the city putting the case for an alternative to cuts, building support for a community based budget to meet the needs of the city fully funded by central government. Developing mass support for such a stand offers the only way to halt the cuts.

Hull

Mick Whale, secretary Hull NUT teachers' union

The battle lines to fight the next round of cuts are still being prepared in Hull. As we reported in last week's Socialist, Hull council trade unions have sent out an open letter calling on Labour councillors to join with the unions in a joint campaign against the cuts.

The letter has been well received by some Labour councillors and council workers alike. Before any follow-up lobbying, some of the councillors have agreed with the need for a campaign.

While this has been going on, however, the authority's officers have been preparing a cuts package. Scandalously, one cut to bin services appeared in the local media before being discussed with either the workforce or the trade unions.

The Labour cabinet has put this proposal on hold after a strong response from the unions.

In the council cabinet meeting on 1 October, veteran Labour councillor Terry Geraghty pointed to the cuts in the NHS and local authority and stated that unless Labour did something to fight the cuts, "we might as well pack up and go home because there will be nothing left locally for Labour to run".

Unfortunately, the cabinet focussed on the disproportionate weight of the cuts on poorer northern cities.

While this point is correct, it would be a disaster if Hull were to be arguing for its cuts to be borne by cities in the south! This would play into the hands of the Tories who would try to divide workers in the south from those in the north.

Anyway, this argument misses the fundamental point that, even equally apportioned, cuts would devastate Hull.

Socialists have pointed to the £800 billion lying idle in the bank accounts of big business - money they refuse to invest believing there is not enough profit in it. This shows that no cuts are necessary,

The trade unions and those Labour councillors prepared to fight the cuts will meet in the next week or so to determine exactly how the campaign should be organised. Watch this space!

In this issue

Education news & analysis

Tory education policy: 'This is just about making cuts isn't it?'