Iain Dalton, West Yorkshire Socialist Party
For the second time in a fortnight, over 100 people gathered to oppose plans for the highest council tax increase in England – 9.99%. This time though, demonstrators were joined by representatives of the council’s independent group, who pledged to vote against the rise.
Many of the independents were elected in opposition to Keir Starmer’s support for the Israeli state’s assault on Gaza. Around half a dozen of these councillors gave speeches opposing the burden of this austerity being put on the backs of working people in Bradford.
Socialist Party members have been campaigning in Bradford, Shipley, and Keighley against the proposals, as well as £40 million cuts being pushed through by the Labour council.
Instead, we call on the council to work with trade unions and community groups to build a mass campaign to demand back the hundreds of millions of pounds stolen from the city. We have also put forward motions in trade union branches raising this strategy.
Socialist Party member Tom Gibson announced at the demo that, as a result of the over 500 signatures on our petition, we will be presenting to the executive board, where the council leadership will finalise its proposals to the full council.
Tom pointed out that just the week before the government gave the council permission to increase council tax by 9.99%, the Labour government also ‘softened’ its approach to non-dom tax-evaders. Socialist Party member and Unite Community branch secretary Peter Spillane outlined how even just a limited wealth tax, as Unite the Union has argued, would provide vital funds to preserve public services.
Campaigning is having an effect. The Labour council has just U-turned on its proposed school bus services cuts, after money was ‘found’ in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to continue funding the service for another year. In reality, they’re feeling our pressure.
The day before the demonstration, a longstanding Labour councillor resigned to become an independent, cutting the Labour group majority to just two.
Even if the council tax increase is passed, the campaign won’t stop. With talk amongst people attending the demo and on our campaign stalls of organising non-payment of this increase, Socialist Party members are calling for an open meeting of organisations backing the protests to discuss how we continue the campaign.
