Torbay agrees no-cuts budget
Duncan Moore, UCU union exec (personal capacity) and Devon Socialist Party
Over 15 years of austerity, both Tories and Lib Dems in Torbay Council have slashed hundreds of jobs. Street cleaning, building maintenance, and funding for community groups have been reduced.
Your Party supporters met in Paignton on 13 November. Torbay is one of the country’s most cash-strapped councils. The effects of austerity are plain to see – it is wrecked by low wages, high rents, and vitiated public services.
Socialist Party member Michelle Goodman – who was previously a member of the executive of public sector union Unison – tabled the needs-based budget from Cornwall Trades Union Council. It was agreed unanimously to put a motion for needs budgets for local councils at the Your Party conference, and that the local Your Party group would contest future local elections on this basis.
A local PCS union rep chaired the meeting. They put forward a motion calling for electoral agreements with other parties, including the Greens, Lib Dems, and Labour to prevent Reform from winning council seats.
The motion passed unanimously. But only after an amendment put by Michelle Goodman, seconded by myself, that Torbay Your Party would only make electoral agreements with parties that agreed with a minimum set of policies, including voting against all cuts and council tax rises.
We also agreed to work with the Torbay Trades Union Council in the campaign to save the local hospital’s cardiac unit from closure, and to financially support any member randomly selected to attend the Your Party conference in Liverpool.
Leicester morale boost
Ikra Rehman, Leicester Socialist Party
Over 230 attendees. Socialist Party members set up two campaign stalls outside, handing out leaflets, and chatting with anyone showing interest. The mood was hopeful and excited.
Jeremy Corbyn walked into the hall to loud applause. Claudia Webbe, former Labour MP for Leicester East, chaired the meeting. She talked about “people having to choose between eating and heating”, that this was “capitalism working as intended”, and what people need is “revolution and not resignation”.
The local co-chair of the University and College Union (UCU), Caren Frosch, spoke on the current strike action at Leicester uni, after management pledged to reduce spending by £11 million through cutting and merging different departments.
Disability activist Abi Broomfield spoke about Labour’s villainization of disabled individuals, and cutting back on support for vulnerable communities.
Corbyn emphasised that education should be free “from cradle to grave”, and pledging to pay for this through a wealth tax on the richest 1%. Corbyn advocated for building up green energy industries, Palestine, oppressed communities, and demilitarisation.
While his speech raised cheers, it failed to address concerns about Your Party’s democracy and public infighting. Corbyn advocated for the party to be “democratic, accountable and involved”.
Despite this, he still promoted ‘sortition’ (lottery), not allowing members to elect accountable delegates. The inclusion of trade unions in ‘Your Party’ was also not discussed.
The question-and-answer session at the end was not conducive to proper consideration, let alone open discussion. The rally did serve as a morale boost, with attendees yearning for more from Your Party.
