Nottingham: Punish Labour for cruel cuts


Vote TUSC in Sherwood and St Ann’s on 7 October

Clare Wilkins, Nottingham Socialist Party

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is standing in two council by-elections in Nottingham. Socialist Party members Geraint Thomas and Florence Chadwick are TUSC candidates in Sherwood and St Ann’s, respectively.

At the last council election, Labour had 50 out of 55 council seats. They have carried out cuts year on year – over £300 million since 2010.

In March, the council threatened to cut the Missing Children’s Team, despite admitting this would cost more money in the long run. After a campaign by the community this cut was withdrawn.

Another £60 million in cuts are proposed over the next three years. When we’re campaigning against cuts, people tell us: “Councils cut, that’s what they do”.

Alongside cuts, the council entered into a disastrous commercial strategy, including setting up an energy provider company, rather than fighting for renationalisation of utilities.

If elected, our Socialist Party TUSC candidates will refuse to make cuts. We demand an emergency People’s Budget – use the millions of pounds the council has in reserves and legal borrowing powers in order to provide time to build a mass campaign involving the council workforce and the community, to force what we need from the Tories (see ‘Save our services: preparing for no-cuts People’s Budgets’ at socialistparty.org.uk).

People are desperate for an alternative to the establishment parties and ‘politics as usual’. One man said: “Councils are there to provide services, and represent and be accountable to local people”. TUSC can help us get to that.