Rebel Councillors Say Council Cuts Aren’t Necessary

Government attacks to local Council funding are having a disastrous effect on the people of Leicester. With £85 million having already been cut from the city’s finances over the past four years, two Councillors in Leicester aim to reverse this damaging trend. They say that the Council must stand its ground and refuse to implement the Government’s austerity agenda. Proposals to slash a further tens of millions of pounds from the city’s already meagre budget is simply untenable.

That is why the rebel councillors are planning to move a motion in the Council’s chambers tonight to demonstrate their resolve to save public services. Having parted company with the Labour Party last year, Cllr Wayne Naylor and Cllr Barbara Potter, formed Leicester Independent Councillors Against the Cuts, which is affiliated to the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. They now feel free to keep their electoral promise to fight for the needs of their electorate by doing everything in their power to fight the cuts.

After Autumn’s “People’s Budget” conference, Cllr Naylor and Cllr Potter believe firmly that they will have broad public support in making their amendment to the city’s budget. This position has been bolstered by a street ballot they undertook on Saturday, in which 100% of the public backed their anti-cuts platform.

As the first step in their campaign, on Wednesday they will ask the Labour Council to support their amendment to the cuts-budget that has been recommended to them by City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby. Indeed, the money is available: astoundingly, at this time of need, Leicester’s Labour council are planning to top up their reserves by £6.9 million this year, which will take it up to a grand total of £56 million. “Residents are told that swingeing cuts to public services are necessary, whilst all that money just sits in the bank,” Cllr Naylor said.

“The council say they’re saving the money for a rainy day. Well, I say it’s already raining! We believe there is a simple solution for the protection of our city’s services- spend the £6.9 million now. This will give us time to build support for our campaign to bring an end to the deceitful politics of austerity.”

This strategy flows from their analysis that the people of Leicester will be inspired by their proposition and rally behind any Councillors who stand up for what’s right, and who take the fight to the Government in order to defend their city’s public services. Cllr Potter added:

“We do not accept that cuts need to made at a time when the city already has £49 million sitting in the bank. If adopted, our proposal will mean that no cuts need to be made this year. In fact, the city will be able to invest some of the money the Council intends to deposit in the bank into funding some of the services that the public told us they wanted at our People’s Budget conference.”

No cuts are necessary in Leicester, so come along to the lobby of the budget meeting from 4pm at the Town Hall tonight, and show your support for their impending face-off with the Labour Council.

Leicester Mercury report published today.