Salford Labour Party councillors, MPs and the Mayor could have their sponsorship withdrawn if they continue making cuts to services and jobs, a meeting of Salford Against The Cuts heard yesterday.
Speaking in a personal capacity, Salford City UNISON branch secretary, Steven North, informed the meeting, held at the Royal Oak in Eccles, that both UNISON and Unite unions had recently passed an official `no cuts' policy...
"The position of the unions should now be `If you want our money, stop cutting services and sacking our members'" he urged "...and if the Labour Party councillors don't listen, we should use our resources to back other candidates."
He listed cuts to the vulnerable over the last few years made by Salford Council, despite assurances that they would be protected. These included day centres closed or run by organisations outside of the Council; intermediate home care privatised by poorly managed companies, paying low wages and having bargain basement terms and conditions; The Grange and Brookhouse services slashed; the adult passenger transport unit axed; health improvement services cut by over £6million, and housing taken out of Council ownership...
With almost £22million more cuts to come this year, Steven North added that there had never been a `no cuts' position taken by any councillor in Salford. However he was optimistic because, when Council workers and the community had mobilised, cuts were either stopped or delayed.
"Resistance is getting stronger" he insisted "We have to demand more from the Labour Party and the unions...until we've got chambers full of councillors voting against the cuts..."
One councillor who did stand up against cuts was Kevin Bennett, who ended up resigning from Warrington Labour Party and is now a TUSC (Trade Unions and Socialist Coalition) councillor.
He told the meeting that the majority of economists agree that cuts and austerity don't work – and that the majority of people voted against those policies at the last General Election.
He said that councils could set a `no cuts' budget without it being illegal, through the use of reserves and low interest borrowing. He noted that Jeremy Corbyn had softened his stance against cuts but that he could build on his leadership campaign momentum and be a figurehead for Labour councils to come together, fight and bring the Government down... "If not" he added "You have the power to remove your vote from them..."
SEARCH In Salford campaigner, Noreen Bailey, told of her disappointment when Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey had told Parliament that, despite the cuts to adult passenger transport for vulnerable people by Salford Council, "Transport was not ended for anyone until suitable alternative arrangements had been agreed..."
Noreen, who had her own transport cut for her adult sons, relayed how families had had to take the Council to court to win transport back... "I can assure you that we are not happy" she said "I've lost a lot of faith in her. People in Salford are far from happy. How can it be said that Ian Stewart has made Salford a better place?"
Paul Gerrard, from Salford Against The Cuts, noted that the problem with Rebecca Long-Bailey is that "she won't challenge the Council...she speaks against academies, cuts to Salford College but will she challenge Ian Stewart? No...
"We will continue to lobby the council and argue for an anti cuts position" he added "and we will continue to support TUSC councillor Kevin Bennett of Warrington, whose courageous stand against cuts in the youth service and other services puts the pro-austerity position of Salford Council to shame."
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