THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT conference takes place in Sheffield over the weekend of 5-7 July.
councillors together in an attempt to hammer out a united strategy to fight Thatcher's local government axe. We print below a discussion paper presented (in their personal capacities) by London council leaders for consideration by Labour Groups, constituency parties and trade unions prior to the Sheffield conference.
THE THATCHER government's ratelegislation capping completes the establishment of a Whitehall dietatorship over every local authority.
with cuts manipulation of grants means that councils can no longer сагту out their mandates from the community to provide much-needed services and protect jobs.
All Labour local councillors are being told they government policy, which the Jul burdens of the economic CrISIS on lne backs or Dul communities.
Abolition of the GLu the metropolitan counties is being fought all the way with the active support of the unions and communities.
ference endorsed a policy of non co-operation abolition and support for all councus waica reruse lo implement cuts or comply •ith the rates legislation. and local parties will get It is not that we are setting out to become lawbreaker. mme racks uar under the legislation it is no longer lawtul for councils to carry out the which were elected.
Other tactics have been coistered. Mesonaton of an authority ratecapped under the legislation cuts off the option of protecting services JoDs Dy increasing Tales IU compensate for grant For other hard-pressed authorities, DrOSUCCI of levying further major will male i can. longer be politically acceptable or even practicable. No authority, rate-capped or not. Is asking for the right to levy high rates.
Central Our common argument against the withholding of central funds raised through taxation from services to meet local needs.
call budgeting, whilst levying a does not provide the basis for unitv because of dir.
Refusal to levy a rate 01 d in order to confront the Tory governCall only succeed with the support of the trade unions and the local communities. Council workers know that failure to fight will result thousands of in tens jobs being lost.
councillors must declare now that thes will defend services jobs demonstrall willingness challenge the government at one and the same time. Then trade unionists can be rallied to that platform.
The community knows that their services under threat. On seeing a determination on the part of councillors and workers to defend services John Austin Walker, leader Greenwich council Ted Knight, leader Lambeth council Tony Ritchie, leader Southwark council Ron Stockbridge, leader Lewisham council John McDonnell, deputy leader GLC
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policies they