Anti-cuts, public services

Health, education, housing, benefits, local councils, ...

Questions and answers on the cuts

Q. The Lib/Tory coalition says that the government just has to make social cuts, in the same way as anyone who has "maxed out" their credit cards needs to cut back. Is that true? A. No. In the first place, there is nothing impossible about the government continuing with a large budget deficit for a while. Governments can't "run out of money" in the same way that households or businesses can. In the last analysis the question "where can the government get the money from?" can be answered simply: from the Bank of England printworks. There are limits on printing more cash, but the government is...

A different sort of Budget

On 25 February the Isle of Man Treasury revealed its 2024 budget, including a 6.7% rise to all benefits.

Stopping the cuts in Nottingham

On Saturday morning, February 24, an emergency protest in Nottingham denounced the imposition of commissioners to run the city council. The move for commissioners, three months after the council’s Chief Finance Officer declared the council unable to balance its budget (“section 114”) on 29 November, and a year after an external Interim Advisory Board gained “powers of direction” over the council, may show concern in government that a growing campaign in Nottingham has the potential to mobilise many people in the city against cuts. One councillor has already said she will vote against the cuts...

Fight council cuts, not just section 114

On 29 November Nottingham’s Labour council issued a “section 114” notice, meaning that it is legally barred from any spending beyond the already-contracted-for and work the council has to do by law. The council’s (unelected) chief finance officer issued the notice, as he is obliged to do by law if he assesses that the council cannot balance its budget. The council is now legally obliged to come up with budget-balancing moves within 14 days. That makes 12 councils since 2018 to do section 114. There were only two in the previous 18 years. There is talk of many more soon. Council leaders...

Labour leaders sit in Tory trap

After a year in which the NHS and other public services have crumbled as never before, the Tories’ 22 November Autumn Statement responded by tax cuts for big business and no relief for public services. Even before winter starts, the NHS waiting list (on latest available figures , September 2023) is still rising, and at a record level of 7.8 million in England. It was a bit over two million before the Tories came to office in 2010. Most patients (57.6%) on the waiting list in September 2023 had been there for more than 18 weeks. 391,122 cases had been waiting more than 52 weeks and some for...

Tax the rich! Restore the NHS!

Solidarity goes to press on Tuesday 21st, the day before Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement. Speculation swirls about what tax cut the Tories will offer, and whether and how they will clip inflation-uprating of benefits to suit. The Tories have considered cutting inheritance tax (essentially, for millionaires only), but optics may push them to cut income tax or National Insurance rates instead. Tax percentages are higher than before. The Tories have not changed income-tax thresholds, so with inflation more people pay higher income-tax rates. VAT has been at 20% since 2011 (it was 10%...

Building wealth on cuts?

Discussion at The World Transformed (TWT) festival that took place alongside Labour Party conference (7-10 October) reinforced how disoriented much of the left is on local government. The TWT session on “ecosocialism” — really more about local community organising — featured a speaker from “Cooperation Hull”, a group of activists who have organised meetings they call “People’s Assemblies” in the town and are now planning to stand in local elections there. Some of the organising Cooperation Hull has done sounded interesting and even impressive, but what their speaker said begged many questions...

Tories back down on ticket offices

On 31 October the government announced it would scrap plans to close every rail ticket office in England. This is a significant victory for the rail unions, passengers, and disabled and accessibility campaigners. Despite the government and the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) arguing that modernisation and reform of the railway meant complete closure, a popular and large-scale campaign with over 750,000 responding to the consultation has defeated the plan. Transport Focus and London Travelwatch reported they were against the plan, and the government said that the alternative plans drawn up by...

Gove sends in Commissioners to raid Birmingham

On 19 September, the ironically titled Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, announced he would be sending in commissioners to take over the running of Birmingham city council. The commissioners will very likely oversee the plundering of Birmingham, with the sale of council assets such as landmark buildings, jobs cuts, and funding cuts that will massively impact the charity sector. Two observations. One, for years the argument from the Labour Right and the official Left has been that Labour councils shouldn't actually resist implementing austerity (as with Lambeth and Liverpool councils in the...

Labour, democracy, and Rosebank

Activists from Workers' Liberty and supporters of Solidarity will be at Labour Party conference and women's conference, 7-11 October in Liverpool. We'll be there to help the efforts of Free Our Unions, the Labour Campaign for Free Movement, the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, India Labour Solidarity, and other campaigns; to sell literature, seek discussions and contacts. There will be demonstrations for the NHS and for abortion rights on Saturday, for free education on Sunday. And agitation for a block on new North Sea oil and gas fields, following the Tories' decision to "max out" licences in...

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