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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/886/22103
From The Socialist newspaper, 27 January 2016
'People's budgets' and local democracy
Women march against the cuts, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)
Socialist Party reporters
Over 50 people gathered in Whitechapel, east London, for the founding meeting of the local Momentum group. Momentum was established to draw together supporters, both inside and outside the Labour Party, of Jeremy Corbyn's anti-austerity agenda.
The event brought together Momentum supporters from Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge. People attending were a mixture of newly joined members of the Labour Party, a smaller group of longer-term members and a number of non-members.
Included in the latter were two councillors from the Tower Hamlets Independents Group who had spoken on the platform at last week's joint meeting with Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (in which the Socialist Party is involved) for a 'people's budget'.
The meeting divided into a number of 'break out' groups where topics like housing, democracy and austerity, among other issues, were discussed.
In the democracy commission the questions of cuts by the local council and defending the policies of Jeremy Corbyn against an entrenched right wing were raised.
Reselection
Socialist Party members argued for Momentum to support the no-cuts people's budget proposals, as well as establishing mechanisms for the democratic reselection of councillors and MPs. This latter point was taken up in the report back to the general meeting without disagreement.
In the austerity commission the ideas of a no-cuts budget was also put forward.
The meeting concluded with elections. A member of the Socialist Party was accepted onto the local Momentum committee.
There were also elections for delegates to a London regional meeting. Despite objections of Socialist Party members the organiser of the meeting unfortunately rejected Momentum's all-inclusive founding brief and instead made clear that no non-Labour Party members could be elected as delegates.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
In The Socialist 27 January 2016:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Housing: smash the Tory wrecking bill
Davos summit: a broken capitalist system
Google pays pittance for avoiding £2bn tax
Red doors and wristbands scandal
Steelworkers may face benefit cut-off for not seeking bar jobs
Oscars snub black artists: fight racism and austerity in the arts
Labour councillor smears TUSC policy as 'BNP'
Top tweets: #TraditionallySubmissive
Teachers under attack
Teaching: a perfect storm is brewing
Teachers need national strategy for a national struggle
A day in the life of a teacher and mother
International socialist news and analysis
New wave of protests in Tunisia
India: student death exposes caste oppression
What we think
Tories 'Prevent' civil liberties
Council cuts and the fight in Labour
Labour councillor suspended for fighting cuts
Dave Nellist's byelection appeal to Jeremy Corbyn: 'let's discuss how to fight the cuts'
Labour election post-mortem: nothing to report!
The dark arts of Labour's right
Councillors must fight to defend our services
'People's budgets' and local democracy
Lewisham: no backsliding in council cuts fight!
Workplace news and analysis
"I have left work many times in tears" - a council worker
Trade union bill will stretch resources and limit action
Birmingham teachers strike to resist academy attack
Care services under threat in Haringey
Readers' comment
The end for deep coal mining jobs in Britain
Obituary: Dean Meehan 1962-2016
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Protesting against closure of Huddersfield A&E
Coventry children's services closure protest
New Socialist Party branch fights against St Austell austerity
Socialist Party discusses the fight for socialism
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