Basil Bowditch, Crawley Socialist Party
29 local authorities up and down England have been allowed by Keir Starmer’s government to postpone local elections this May, ostensibly to help smooth along plans to reshape county and district councils’ structures. This means councillors who last year enacted devastating austerity budgets have had their seats protected for another year. There will be harsh cuts to council services on the way again this year.
Locally, Labour-led councils like Worthing-Adur and Crawley, have opted to back out of this year’s local elections. These are councils which last year made cuts of over £3 million, alongside hiking up council tax and other penalty charges, hitting workers right in their pockets. Starmer’s government has not restored the overdue and desperately needed funding for councils, hit hard by over a decade of Tory austerity.
West Sussex County Council has also chosen to abandon elections this May. A council that made almost £40 million in cuts last year, and £30 million more are expected this year.
Union response
The trade union movement must use its strength as to push back these plans. Local government unions such as GMB, Unite and Unison, must stand against this blatant disregard for democratic obligation, and any attempts to implement another round of austerity. Lobbying local councils and building anti-cuts campaigns can give confidence to council workers to fight back industrially.
There should also be questions to ask about unions’ continued affiliation with Labour, a party willing to go against the unions’ ‘no cuts to public services’ policies. Discussions should be taking place in areas of Sussex that are still holding local elections, to support candidates that align with the position of their members – to fight all cuts! There needs to be real political repercussions for all parties and councils who still opt for austerity over fighting for full funding. A clear message must be sent: that any plans to continue attacks on public services will be met with organised resistance from the working class.
