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Will the councils fight the cuts?

Socialist Party member Nancy Taaffe, who was the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate in last month's general election in Walthamstow, had this letter published in the local press after Labour won back control of Waltham Forest council.

ACROSS EAST London, including Waltham Forest, millions of workers voted Labour, believing this might protect them from the Tory-led public sector massacre now set to take place.

Throughout the election the Socialist Party campaigned on a 'no cuts' platform, explaining that these cuts were being demanded by unelected hedge fund managers and city wolf packs, with politicians repeating ad nauseam that ordinary people should pay for bank bailouts.

In reality Waltham Forest has experienced in-efficiency cut after in-efficiency cut. Failed privatisation experiments such as Ascham Homes and EduAction, abound. We have the dirty contract of Kier [a poorly paying waste and cleaning company which took over many services locally - Eds]. On top of this, the swansong of the previous Lib/Lab pact was to vote through £10 million of budget cuts.

The Socialist Party stands in the tradition of the fighting Liverpool city council, which stood up to Thatcher between 1984 and 1986; which built houses and schools and created jobs in the teeth of a vicious Tory government.

Militant, the forerunner of the Socialist Party, led the magnificent battle against the poll tax that saw 18 million people refuse to pay, defeated the tax and, ultimately, saw the back of Thatcher herself.

Council leader Chris Robbins said we face "exciting but difficult times". Well, this Labour council has a choice - will they slavishly do the bidding of the government, as they did under New Labour, or will they refuse to implement the cuts?

If they choose defiiance, like the socialists in Liverpool, they should set a budget based on real needs in the borough in terms of services, and build a campaign amongst council workers, college lecturers, teachers, school and college students etc, linking up with other boroughs to force the government to increase funding.

The Socialist Party is ready to be part of that campaign. Is the council?

In this issue

Stop Israeli state terror!

British Airways cabin crew strike

British Airways strike: Full support for the cabin crew

Environment and socialism

Oil spill is 'worst environmental disaster' to hit US

Socialist Party news and analysis

No to privatised academies: Defend public education

Millionaire cabinet plans cuts in benefits

One Law for the rich...

Them and us!

Interview with sacked Telegen workers

Youth Fight for Jobs: More trade unions add their support

Anti-racism

Cardiff says 'no' to the racist EDL

Housing crisis

Gateshead tenants demand decent homes

Socialist Party LGBT

Socialists campaign for Pride not profit in Birmingham

Marxist analysis: history

Margaret Thatcher: Why workers cannot forget

Scotland

Minority representation in Scotland for Westminster coalition of cuts

Socialist Party Scotland to be launched

Socialist Party workplace news

Fighting council cuts: Planning for united strikes in Kirklees

PCS conference Defend the public sector

Coventry - time for mass action

Will the councils fight the cuts?

University and Colleges Union: Congress votes to fight

UCU young members' conference

NSSN conference 2010

International socialist news and analysis

Jamaican armed forces surround and storm poor neighbourhood

Workers' suicides: The human cost of an iPad

Socialism Today

Home   |   The Socialist 2 June 2010   |   Join the Socialist Party

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Related links:

Waltham Forest:

Waltham Forest TUSC: On 6 May - Use your vote to fight education cuts

Waltham Forest Socialist Party: Could Britain become a fascist state?

Waltham Forest Socialist Party: What next in the fight against Covid austerity?

Waltham Forest Socialist Party: Defend the right to protest

Waltham Forest Socialist Party: Young and fighting for a future in London

Socialist:

Socialist Party national meeting: Perspectives for socialism after the elections

Stop Israeli state brutality

Obituary - Jon Elvin

Right-wing Partido Popular wins Madrid elections - a warning to the working class

Walthamstow:

Save our square: we need social housing and public services

Save Our Square from New Labour gentrification

Selling the Socialist: increase in NHS anger

Council:

Norwich City Council workers vote for strike action over broken promises on pay and conditions

Ealing parking wardens strike against Serco over absence policy

Election:

RMT: Militant industrial and political strategy must be fought for

Labour:

Starmer moves against Unite - No to the attack on Beckett

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition:

TUSC is back

Socialist Party:

National Education Union needs a socialist, fighting deputy general secretary

Cuts:

Can the 'Preston model' beat the cuts?