Iain Dalton, West Yorkshire Socialist Party
The Tory government has responded to Bradford council’s special appeal for £80 million. The ‘bailout’ offered is not new money from central government, but borrowing at 1% above standard interest rates for councils, to be funded from the council’s own resources, including by selling off assets.
As part of the deal, an ‘independent improvement board’ is to be established to oversee cuts. 18 other councils have been granted similar powers.
After 14 years of funding cuts from Westminster, with the huge weight of financial pressure on councils, the Tories have been forced to acknowledge the scale of the crisis and change the ‘rules’.
However, Bradford council is still pressing on with £40 million of cuts this year. The Labour council should be saying ‘no cuts’, and refusing to sell off community assets – libraries, leisure centres, and so on.
Why not set a budget that defends all jobs and services, using all available means, mobilising the local community to back the stance? The demand should be put on an incoming Starmer-led government to fund it.
Socialist Party members have supported anti-cuts campaigns throughout West Yorkshire, which will clearly need to be stepped up in opposition to these cuts, and the further cuts to come. As part of resisting these cuts, we believe it is vital that councillors who refuse to fight are challenged at the ballot box by candidates who will.
We appeal to all anti-cuts campaigners, trade unionists and community activists to join us standing as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), to ensure the widest-possible challenge.
