No to cuts! No to a 14% Council Tax increase!

We say the Council should set a ‘Deficit Budget’ and fight the Government for more funds!

The Socialist Party condemns the planned cuts in the voluntary sector and to council services. These cuts are unjustified and will affect the most vulnerable in society. 

The Liberal / Tory run council came to power last year because people in Leicester were sick of the Labour administration who carried out ruthless cuts themselves. They were responsible for shutting Granby Halls, St Margaret’s Swimming Baths and 6 secondary schools to name but a few. In the past Labour have also been responsible for carrying out savage cuts in the voluntary sector itself.

The Liberal / Tory council is continuing where the Labour council left off- even worse! Whilst we never had any illusions that the Liberals or Tories would run the council in the interests of ordinary working class people, some people in Leicester did. In the face of these latest council cuts these illusions have now been shattered.

The Liberal / Tory run council claim they have been under-funded by national government. They say that they are £20 million worse off than other equivalent councils.

In that case they should set a budget based on what is needed to avoid these severe cutbacks in services, set a council tax rise more in line with general inflation, and campaign for the rest of the cash from the government. If they did that, they could mobilise support from the council workforce, council tax payers and users of services to force more money from the government.

The national government had plenty of money to wage war on Iraq and plenty of money to pay for the occupation. If they are genuinely short of money then we would be more than happy to direct them to where most of the money in this country actually is! The large capitalist companies and banks make billions of pounds worth of profits. The super rich in this country have had their obscene wealth left untouched by the New Labour Government who have cut corporation tax for big business.

If, as is highly likely the Liberal / Tory Council refuse to fight in the interests of ordinary people against the cuts and the increase in council tax and fail to demand more funding from the Government then they should be removed from power. Not to be replaced by the equally as bad New Labour Party, but by ordinary people standing as candidates on the basis of opposition to the cuts and pledging to fight for ordinary working class people.

Locally and nationally there is no party that represents the interests of ordinary people. That’s why we argue for the creation of a new workers’ party that can unite trades unionists and anti-cuts and community campaigners into a party that fights for their common class interests. Such a party is necessary to defend us from the cut-back agenda of the capitalists which is loyally implemented by the Labour, Liberal and Tory parties who represent them.

Build a united campaign of voluntary groups and the trade unions to fight the cuts and kick out the Liberal / Tory council!