Hackney Socialist Party members
At our Hackney Socialist Party public meeting on fighting council cuts and the housing crisis, we had Claudia Turbet-Delof from the Independent Socialist Group of councillors speaking.
She is one of three Hackney councillors who resigned from the Labour Party to form their own independent group last year. Earlier, they were suspended by the Labour group for voting in favour of hearing a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Claudia gave insight into the council. Some council cabinet meetings that make crucial decisions, only last 15 to 20 minutes. At one cabinet meeting, the papers stretched to 2,700 pages, leaving little possibility for scrutiny.
She gave detail of £3 million public health cuts by 2027. £170,000 cut from community wellbeing, £300,000 from sexual health services, mental health support discontinued, and addictive substance services slashed.
Claudia grew up in a working-class household in Bolivia, with street protest, trade union struggles, and poverty the norm. She agreed in general with our approach to fighting cuts.
The Hackney Independent Socialist Group of councillors is drawing up an alternative budget, jointly with Green councillors, to challenge Labour’s budget cuts. They are calling on underused community halls to be opened up for free, or with a nominal charge, to be used as community hubs in each ward area.
The meeting was very successful in attracting several members of the public to attend for the first time. Hackney Socialist Party member Brian Debus, a lifelong trade unionist, introduced the discussion.
“Following 14 years of Tory rule, over £140 million has been slashed from Hackney council budget, with hundreds of jobs cut, alongside a significant reduction in real take-home pay.
Food and energy bills have gone up. Rents have become unaffordable for many in the private-rented sector, with little or no council-house building. Many born and brought up in Hackney have been forced out of the borough.
Hackney Labour council has continued to pass on cuts to frontline services. Young Hackney, which supports youth clubs and hubs, is being cut by at least 25%, with lots of jobs on the line.
Children centres have faced closure twice in the last three years, and have only been saved by parents mounting a strong campaign, supported by Hackney Unison union, and staff in the centres.
Last year, four schools closed. Four more face closure this year, with significant disruption to children’s education.
The future does not look rosy. 85% of county councils say they are worse off after Rachel Reeves’s budget.
London boroughs face a £500 million shortfall. Hackney faces budget cuts of £67 million over the next three years.
17,000 Londoners are in temporary accommodation. Many end up in hostels, hotels, sub-standard housing with poor repairs, damp, and mould.
What’s the alternative?
The Socialist Party has advocated for some time that councils should produce legal, balanced, no-cuts budgets. This could protect services by using reserves and prudential borrowing, as councils have cash-rich assets.
This can only succeed in the short term. Councils need to campaign alongside trade unions, service users, community groups, community campaigners, voluntary sector, and other political parties, and combine with other councils in the same boat for the necessary funds to protect services.”
