Councillors are urged by party to vote against cuts
ACONSTITUENCY Labour Party in Wales is thought to be the first in the UK for many years to demand that its councillors refuse to implement public spending cuts – evoking memories of the 1980s, when Liverpool council defied the Thatcher government and set an unlawful budget.
But those pushing for the tough stance at Caerphilly council insist there would be no need to break the law, and that the cash needed to pay for the threatened services could come from the authority’s reserves.
Members of Islwyn Constituency Labour Party (CLP) – which form part of the area covered by Caerphilly council – passed a motion which said: “Austerity is causing great hardship to the people of our constituency. It is causing massive difficulties to local communities, and is decimating our public services. Caerphilly has a greater level of poverty than much of the rest of Britain, so austerity will inevitably have a greater impact in our local area.
“We believe that in order to protect our constituents, we must be seen to publicly fight the national Governments austerity agenda. And as such, this CLP calls on all its serving Caerphilly councillors to plan for a 2019/20 council budget that will protect services and employment, not cut them.
“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 provides them with the money needed to adequately provide services.”
Residents, including many grassroots Labour Party members, have been campaigning against proposed cuts that could see half the authority’s leisure centres close down.
Dean Jones, an executive member of Islwyn CLP, said: “We’ve had a situation where Labour councillors have been prepared to vote for cuts without properly exploring alternatives – and that’s not acceptable to party members.
“Currently they are talking about cutting £141,000 from the meals on wheels budget. Yet there are millions of pounds in the council’s reserves that should be drawn on.
“No-one is talking about setting an unlawful budget. But we believe we’re the first CLP in the UK for many years to demand councillors don’t impose cuts.”
Caerphilly council Labour group spokesman Cllr Gez Kirby, who himself represents a ward in the Islwyn constituency, said: “The group will consider the issue at its next meeting later this month.”