Conor O’Neill, Liverpool and District Socialist Party
Socialist Party members attended a demonstration outside Sefton Town Hall in Bootle on 6 June. The protest took place during a meeting of the children’s overview and scrutiny committee. People protested against the poor and inadequate state of children’s services, and because of a desperate need for “further support in educational services as well as with SEN children” across Sefton. The protest was well attended by local activists as well as parents involved in the campaign, who voiced their concerns about their vile treatment at the hands of the local children’s services.
When asked for comment, one of the mothers on the demonstration described the Labour council as “pointless”. In her view, Sefton council was “failing in its duty of care for families and children”.
Labour councillor Judy Hardman was sent out as a representative of the scrutiny committee to engage with protesters. Socialist Party members questioned why she had chosen to vote though millions in cuts to public services, despite the council having over £20 million in usable reserves. Councillor Hardman avoided the question, and said that her aim was to ensure a Labour government at the next election. Socialist Party members fight for the election of real socialist councillors, as part of a new mass workers’ party, who will oppose all spending cuts. We fight for a mass working-class movement to demand the funding stolen by the government to restore our services, including children’s services.
