Protesters Lobby Leicester City Council against cuts

On Wednesday 20 February, 200 homeless people, trade unionists and campaigners lobbied Leicester’s Labour council as they went in to vote for cuts. The anger of people there was reflected in the fact that just before the council meeting many of the protesters went into the Town Hall past the security and occupied the lobby.

The protest had initially been called by Leicestershire Against the Cuts and the Streetlife Action Group- organised by homeless people, and later also Leicester City UNISON.

According to the council’s consultation document they already plan to “reduce annual spending by £75 million, and estimate making further cuts of over £50 million per year by 2016.” The immediate impact of the cuts include a proposed 1/3 cut in the budget for homelessness services. It will also hit adult social care and youth services.

In the council chamber the Labour councillors cried crocodile tears about how the cuts hit the most vulnerable, yet then proceeded to vote them through! Many of the speeches at the Lobby were from the homeless group explaining the impact these cuts would have on people in Leicester. Tony Church from Leicestershire Against the Cuts explained why we call on the council to refuse to make the cuts, and build a campaign to force the money we need from the government.

Report of Leicester Against the Cuts Meeting

Heather Rawling

At a time when more people will be made homeless because of losing their jobs and cuts in benefits, Labour Controlled Leicester City Council is doing the coalition’s dirty work. They intended to cut 200 beds for the homeless and close a day centre for homeless people.

Homeless people are getting organized though and joined with the Leicestershire Against the Cuts to lobby the council meeting.

At the Leicester Against the Cuts later that evening, people who are or have been homeless spoke graphically about their situations. One woman was a victim of domestic violence. A couple spoke about how they are being forced into shared accommodation because they can’t afford the bedroom tax. A political exile from Turkey said he was inspired by the struggle of homeless people in Leicester.

Someone else explained how the council would not recognize his need to have 2 bedrooms so that his two sons could continue to stay with him for part of the week. And the Tories claim to be the party of the family! Their policies are driving families apart.

The meeting resolved to build the campaign against cuts in housing benefits and services on the estates. We will build on our experience of fighting the poll tax and use a variety of tactics, to resist the cuts. We are prepared to occupy people’s homes to prevent them from being evicted if they cannot pay their rent due to cuts in housing benefit.

 In the Town Hall  occupation

The mood of the meeting was confident, people feeling empowered by uniting with others to fight back against the cuts. The council has been forced to rethink their plans, they withdrew the part of their budget referring to the homeless service at the council meeting. The feeling was that this is a victory for the campaign, but we are under no illusions. These plans to cut homeless beds have not gone away. They have merely delayed a decision.

Cameron – we are all in it together to fight your government’s vicious and callous attacks on ordinary people and the most vulnerable in society!

By a Leicester Youth Worker:

 “I’m a cut come March 14th. Redeployment within the city council is looking slim for me now.

Open Door Leicester, a free counselling service for children and young people, has folded. The youth manager, whose role was to secure funding, manage the service, securing contracts etc, for this well respected charity, was funded by the city council but has now been cut.

It is the only one of its kind which specialised in children and young people. Open Door played a large part in the support of young people who were experiencing abuse, depression, isolation, low self esteem, self harming, body image issues etc, as well as serving as a vehicle for young people in the disclosure of these abuses (safe guarding formally child protection) to help secure justice and closure for young people. Open Door served Leicester’s city and county well, yet on March 31st it will no longer exist..”