Nick Chaffey, Southampton Socialist Party
In a time of Tory cost-of-living crisis, council budgets are being slashed further, alongside council tax, rent and other charge increases. Having been deselected as sitting councillor for Coxford in Southampton, Barrie Margetts called on Southampton Labour council to take immediate action at the recent budget setting meeting.
“I oppose cuts to council services, increased council tax and council rents. Look at the difficulty facing people. People are broke. People are starving. It is unacceptable. We have reserves we should use. Our responsibility is now. We have to use all the powers we have so no child goes hungry.
“Our council workers are getting a 5.7% pay increase when inflation is higher.
“We need Labour councils standing together and saying no more, as we did with the poll tax. We need to bring back in-house all outsourced services. We should run St Mary’s Leisure Centre. We should bring bus services into council and make them free.”
Unite the Union, which represents council workers, shares the view that councils should fight back. That councils should set “legal no-cuts budgets” became national policy in 2021. Unite should give its full backing to Barrie’s stand and call on other councillors to do the same.
Unite should also call on all its members to stand as anti-cuts candidates in the May elections. A fighting stand would gain huge support and up the pressure on councils to take the urgent action needed.
