Lessons of Liverpool, Lambeth and Poplar for today

The campaign built by Liverpool city council in 1983-87 to win extra funding inspired thousands of workers, photo Militant   (Click to enlarge)

Today councillors can no longer be surcharged unless they are found guilty of financial crime for personal gain. But it is still true that any council that refused to carry out cuts or introduce hikes in council tax would - at a certain stage - come into conflict with the legal system.

However, such a council would also be enormously popular. Trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners would be able to mobilise tens of thousands in support of such a stand.

In these circumstances - as in Liverpool - it would be very difficult for the law to be used against such councils.

However, most councils have time to prepare before taking this road. By using their reserves and borrowing powers to avoid making cuts, councils could gain time to build a mass movement in their support.

London, Lambeth TUSC election meeting

Lambeth & Southwark Socialist Party: Stephen Lawrence Murder - The untold story;

Lambeth & Southwark Socialist Party: How to defeat all the Tory attacks

Lambeth & Southwark Socialist Party: Spain after the elections - Lessons for workers in Britain

Lambeth demonstration: 'Give Our Youth A Future'

Lambeth Socialist Party: How can we get rid of this rotten government?

Liverpool:

Liverpool Socialist Party: Marxist Economics

Liverpool Socialist Party: A Marxist view of history

Liverpool Socialist Party: Housing crisis - a socialist solution

Liverpool Socialist Party: Opposing austerity within the EU

Cuts:

Bristol East Socialist Party: There is an Alternative

Demo against cuts at Salford university

Walthamstow Socialist Party: France - Greece - Austerity rejected!

Council:

Council workers in Cheshire strike against attacks on pay

Victory for Greenwich Unite library campaign

Greenwich libraries - fighting back can win

Anti-cuts:

Fight Austerity

Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union meeting

Defend Unison activist at Queen Mary University