All Campaigns subcategories:
Election campaigns keywords:
Councillors
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: Caerphilly - Labour Party - Labour - Cuts - Council - Budget - Councillors - Welsh Government - Wales - Wales TUC - Welsh Assembly
Islwyn Labour Party calls for council no-cuts budget
Hundreds march through Blackwood High Street against the closure of local leisure centres, photo Dave Reid, photo Dave Reid (Click to enlarge)
Dave Reid, Socialist Party Wales
Islwyn Constituency Labour Party (CLP) has demanded Labour-led Caerphilly Council pass a no-cuts budget.
The CLP passed a motion from Maesycymmer ward calling for "all its serving Caerphilly councillors to plan for a 2019-20 council budget that will protect services and employment, not cut them."
Hundreds marched against the threatened closure of leisure facilities on 3 November (see 'Hundreds march to save Blackwood leisure centres').
Left-Labour activists spearheaded the campaign to defend Pontllanfraith leisure centre and Cefn Fforest swimming pool, and feel betrayed by Labour councillors who voted to close the centres. Some councillors who marched against the closures voted to close them!
The council leader and all the other right-wing councillors boycotted the CLP meeting, except for the mayor who stormed out after the motion was passed.
"We demand that our Labour councillors do not vote for any council proposals that may result in service cuts, job losses or privatisation, and instead that they demand that the Welsh government truly mobilise the public to ensure the Westminster government provide them with the money needed to adequately provide services."
The motion calls upon the councillors "to force the council to use its significant financial reserves and borrowing powers and if necessary to consider the drastic steps such as deleting the post of Chief Executive, in order to stave off making any cuts while building a campaign."
Caerphilly Council has been embroiled in a scandal costing more than £3 million. The previous chief executive was accused of using underhand methods to inflate his salary.
Campaigners are also moving the motion in Caerphilly CLP, the other constituency in the borough.
If the existing councillors continue to implement the cuts, then local ward parties should prepare to replace them as Labour candidates for future council elections. But the campaign cannot wait until the 2022 elections. The campaign to stop leisure cuts must be built into a mass struggle to force the council to step back.
And candidates for the Welsh Assembly elections in 2021 must give an unequivocal commitment to support a no-cuts budget by the Welsh government in line with the policy agreed by the Wales TUC in 2016.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
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.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999