Caroline Lucas & Davy Jones condemn Green councillors' privatisation decision

The political decisions of the minority Green Council in Brighton and Hove have been controversial , locally and nationally, within the Green Party and within the broader left movement. At the crux of the argument has been the degree to which the Council should go along with the austerity agenda and implement cuts and costs savings, claiming that 'Green cuts' would be more progressive than those made by the other parties. At the same time the Council has also made considerable progress on the Green agenda. (See article on New Statesman website LINK)

A decision made at by some Green councillors at a Council committee last night has brought out the differences between the Council leadership's perspective and that of the city's Green MP and prospective MP.

Caroline Lucas MP, (Green Brighton and Hove) and Davy Jones (Green candidate for Brighton Kempton) have issued the following statement:

We are disappointed that at yesterday's Brighton & Hove Council Policy & Resources Committee meeting some Green Group councillors including the Council leader Jason Kitcat, voted to accept a Health & Well-Being Board recommendation to out-source a local NHS service (ICES) to provide specialist equipment for people with disabilities to a private sector provider.

It is a complicated situation - the Sussex Community NHS Trust was threatening to pull out of the service, "cost shunting" the responsibility over to the cash-strapped local Council that only provides a small component of the service currently. This is deeply regrettable. But we believe the Council has made a mistake in allowing itself to be forced by the NHS Trust to out-source this service to a private sector provider.

There was no necessity to make this decision earlier today – the existing contract runs until September 2015, leaving plenty of time to seek alternative solutions to keep the service in public hands.

We are particularly disappointed in today’s decision as it is not one that is in line with national or local Green Party policy, that unreservedly opposes the privatisation of NHS services. Neither was the ICES decision brought before the local Green Group or Green Party in advance for discussion. The Green Party councillors on the Council recently successfully proposed a motion to the full Council meeting opposing privatisation of NHS services.

We reiterate our outright opposition to the out-sourcing of the ICES service and to support the staff in the NHS in their campaigns to remain in the public sector, and NHS campaigners fighting against privatisation.

Brent's 2015-16 budget gap could still justify council tax referendum

Reflecting on Muhammed Butt's declaration yesterday that there were 'no plans to change course' on freezing council tax for the 2014-15 budget, I wonder what his plans are for 2015-16. In October the Council forecast a deficit for that year of  £34m (see below) a huge amount that on the council's own reckoning will put essential services at risk.

As political parties are deciding their manifestos for the May local elections surely they should be saying something about this crisis waiting for them in their first year of office.

In that respect a manifesto pledge to have a referendum on increasing council tax would make sense. Rank and file Labour party members and the wider public could than have a say and it could provide a launch pad for similar moves by other local authorities.  I do not think increases in council tax are the answer to the huge cuts in local authority funding, that of course requires the restoration of adequate funding, but a national debate post May 2014 leading up to the General Election in 2015 could feed into that demand. It will certainly put the future of local government on the General Election agenda.

The referendum debate in Brent, unlike in Brighton and Hove, may be closed in terms of the 2014-15 budget but should be very much a live issue for 2015-16. The electorate need to know how the competing parties would tackle the issue.

Meanwhile on February 4th the Budget Finance and Overview Scrutiny Committee will be discussing the draft budget for 2014-15. No details are included on the agenda except for the following statement:

The Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss and make recommendations on the draft 2014/15 budget. Councillor Ruth Moher, Lead Member for Corporate Resources and Deputy Leader of the Council, will present the draft budget and answer questions from members. While the committee will lead the discussion, this meeting is intended to give all non-Executive members the opportunity to participate in the budget scrutiny process and raise any questions or comments they may have on the draft budget.

These are the figures published on Wembley Matters in October 2013 LINK that signalled the upcoming crisis:
 

	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17
	£m	£m	£m
Budget Gap at Council Feb 2013	20.4	17.1	17.3
Reductions in Revenue Support Grant	2.0	13.0	1.0
Business Rate Top-Up	-0.1	-0.4	-0.2
Additional Council Tax Freeze Grants	-1.0	-1.1	2.1
Business Rates - share of growth from baseline	-1.9	-0.7	-0.6
New Homes Bonus	0.5	2.7	-0.1
Collection Fund Surplus	-2.4	2.4
Council Tax Base	-1.3	-0.2	-0.3
Other Grants	-1.1	0.8
Capital Financing	-2.0
Latest Budget Gap	13.1	33.6	19.2

Brent Labour debating Referendum on raising Council Tax

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt last night told the audience at Willesden Connects that a vigorous debate was going on in the Labour group about the possibility of Brent Council staging a referendum on raising Council Tax.

This follows the decision of the Green Brighton and Hove Council to seek such a referendum in order to raise Council Tax to protect Adult Social Services. When I tweeted this story Cllr James Denselow, Brent Executive member tweeted back that he was 'very interested to see how this goes'.

Unfortunately the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove have opposed the Referendum LINK and are to move a vote of no confidence in the minority Green administration.

Brent Labour's discussion reflects the large cuts expected in 2015-16 and London Councils' warning LINK that 'without significant changes to the way cuts are applied many boroughs will quickly reach an unsustainable position, and that will affect local services'.

Brent finance officers have warned for some time that continuing the Council Tax freeze risks seriously undermining the council's revenue base.

Muhammed Butt himself said at Willesden Connects that a rise in Council Tax would affect the poorest people who are now expected to pay 20% of the tax. This ironically was the basis of the demonstration at Full Council on Monday when the protesters wanted that group protected - something that has happened in other boroughs and where Brent's poorest pay the second highest rate in London.

Interestingly in Brighton the GMB union has welcomed the Green move. Mark Turner the city;s GMB organiser said:

This new budget would protect frontline services in adult social care. Cuts would have absolutely terrible consequences on people’s lives. It is only right that the public have a chance to vote on this proposal.

In the Local Government Chronicle, LINK after doubting whether the referendum move would get past the combined Labour and Conservative vote(32 against the Green's 21)  Emma Maier nevertheless wrote:

A referendum in Brighton would truly be democracy in action. Whatever the outcome, this is a historic case. The local and national news stories will go some way to disabusing people of the common perception that council services are funded entirely from council tax, and will ensure that more people are aware of cuts to central funding.

If a referendum were to be held a 'no' vote would probably finish off Britain's first Green administration. But it could also open up a conversation about publicly sanctioned services cuts – and a debate about the role of local government in future.

A 'yes' vote, meanwhile, could change the whole dynamic between central and local government, and between voters and the council. The implication would ripple much further than Brighton's beaches.

The latter scenario is unlikely. But if it can happen anywhere, it would be Brighton.

In a letter to the Guardian today Baroness Ruth Lister of the Labour Party, Chair of Compass Neil Lawson and John Hilary write:

The decision of Brighton council to hold a referendum on whether to increase council tax to pay for essential services is a bold commitment to democracy and equality. Everyone is feeling squeezed as a result of the Tories' draconian cuts to local government and public services, but a political contest over which party will manage austerity more effectively won't change the terms of debate. Money raised collectively, spent collectively and targeted where there is the most need is as essential in Brighton as it is across the UK.

Of course the referendum is not the answer in the long-term, and still makes the poor pay for the crisis, but  it does open up a debate about the adequate financing of local government service.  We have to focus on the disastrous impact of funding cuts on the vulnerable, and the possible deaths that may result.  That is why some are referring to the Brighton referendum as the Social Care referendum, rather than the Council Tax Referendum - this puts the emphasis on the provision of vital services rather than taxes.

This weekend Young Greens are descending on Brighton in large numbers to campaign for the referendum. See thir article on Left Foot Forward HERE 

Here is another view from columnist Simon Jenkins LINK

2014-15 Budget a cut too far for at least one Brighton Green councillor

On Sunday I wrote about how difficult it was becoming for councils, of whatever political complexion, to keep to their promise to protect the most vulnerable in the face of sweeping Coalition funding cuts.

Coincidentally a Brighton People's Assembly sponsored Community Conference  was being held in Brighton home of the minority Green adminstration. Their 2014-15 budget is based on a £22.5m cut.

Councillor Ben Duncan who represents Queens Park ward, told the meeting that he woudl reject the proposed budget and would urge other Green and Labour councillors to join him. Duncan praised the fair and environmental principles which his colleagues had used when setting the budget, but went on:

We’re already seeing the impact of these cuts locally and it’s only going to get worse until local authorities say enough is enough and we’re not going to accept this.

We need to start that movement in Brighton and Hove as people elected the Greens on an anti-cuts platform.

 It is expected that Cllr Duncan will be joined by other Green councillors but the overall picture of the distribution of forces is still unclear.

Brighton People's Assembly LINK on their website outline the position:

Brighton & Hove City Council is facing a further £23 million reduction in its budget for 2014-15. 

The initial proposals for the budget have now been published on the council's website.
The proposed budget includes cuts to many vital local services, including:

• Residential care, home care and employment support for adults with learning disabilities
• Day centres for older people
• Social workers for children who need support
• The homelessness prevention service

Here's a longer list we have put together.

Brighton People's Assembly called a Community Conference on December 1st, bringing together councillors, council workers and local citizens, to discuss ways in which we can campaign for more funding and against these damaging budget cuts.

The meeting heard from local residents who depend on some of the services facing cuts.
For example, 800 local residents with learning disabilities receive support from the council to help them find employment. This is essential to help people fill in complicated forms and negotiate suitable job placements with employers. There is already a long waiting list for this support, but the budget proposals say the funding for the service will be cut by £100,000 - 45% of the total funding.

 Last night Green Left, of which I am a member, issued the following statement:

Green Left  supports both Ben Duncan and Alex Phillips who have said they'll vote against Tory cuts, and any other Green councillors considering doing so.

Greens debate whether local councils should act as the Coalition's bailiffs

There was a lively and passionate debate at the Green Party Conference on 'Greens in Local Government' in which a position  that Green Councils should propose budgets that do not entails cuts, and another  recognising that the reputational damage to an anti-cuts party of Green Councils carrying out cuts on behalf of central government, may outweigh the benefits of trying to make cuts in a 'caring and consultative manner', were defeated.

Despite this setback a Green Left fringe meeting attended by some Brighton and Hove councillors carried on the debate, demonstrating that this issue remains live. The recent undermining of local government through financial cuts and the unexpectedly large cuts that will take place next year make this a genuine issue for all local councils of whatever political complexion. Are we content to be the Coalition's bailiffs?

These videos are  a record of that fringe meeting:

Cheeky Caroline greets Labour in Brighton with 'Greens are the REAL opposition' message

Labour Party members attending their conference in Brighton this weekend, in the constituency of the UK’s first Green MP, will be welcomed by a billboard making the case that it is Caroline Lucas who is offering the real opposition in parliament.

The digital advert will be on display prominently on Queen’s Road – one of Brighton’s main thoroughfares. The street is the main route down which Labour delegates and lobbyists who arrive by train will travel to reach the conference at the sea-front Metropole Hotel.

The ad starts with a check list, against a red backdrop, reading: “Saving the NHS, Fighting Austerity, Railways in Public Hands, Scrapping Trident.” As the screen turns green, the billboard says “Brought to you by the Green Party.”

The final screen displays a photo of Caroline Lucas MP and reads: “Welcome to Brighton – Home of the True Opposition in Parliament. p.s. Labour is down the hill on the right.”

Rob Shepherd, Chair of Brighton and Hove Green Party, said, “We know a lot of Labour members want their party leadership to stand up to austerity and NHS privatisation, and to support progressive policies such as public ownership of the railways.

“We wanted to remind them that there’s an MP already fighting for these causes in Parliament. It would be great to see Labour members using their conference to encourage Ed Miliband to follow Caroline’s lead on standing up for these causes, and bring together a powerful coalition of voices to reverse the consensus that austerity and privatisation are the only game in town.”

The Green Party’s own autumn conference took place last weekend, also in Brighton.  In her conference speech Caroline Lucas criticised cuts to welfare and local services, and argued that it is the Green Party, rather than Labour, that is offering the real opposition to the Government's agenda of austerity and privatisation.

She is speaking at two events at Labour’s conference – a Compass panel discussion called ‘Labour – an open tribe?’ and an Institute for Public Policy Research event titled ‘The Condition of Britain’.

Her Private Member’s Bill to bring the railways back into public hands is due its second reading next month.

No 'bedroom tax' eviction policy comes into effect in Brighton

Green-led councillors in Brighton & Hove yesterday fulfilled the party's pledge to introduce a policy saying that no city council tenant should be evicted from a council-owned home just because they cannot afford to pay their bedroom tax.

Brighton & Hove was the first city in the country to see such a declaration and yesterday afternoon it continued to lead the way on bedroom tax evictions when its plans become council policy.

It is two months since the housing committee chair, councillor Liz Wakefield, made a commitment to introduce the policy, describing the so-called 'spare room subsidy', or bedroom tax, as "immoral and harmful legislation from this morality-free coalition government".

In her final meeting as chair of the committee, before the post moves on, councillor Wakefield saw the commitment fulfilled when fellow councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty proposed the Green's no eviction policy, which was seconded by all Green councillors present and then approved unanimously by the Green, Labour and Conservative councillors serving on the committee.

The policy ensures that the council may continue to use all usual means to pursue non-payment other than bailiffs or evictions.

Councillor Wakefield said: "The Green council is proud to lead the way in fighting the bedroom tax and pleased to make it clear to our council tenants that we will not send the bailiffs round to evict them solely because they are unable to pay the coalition government's unjust, unscrupulous and often unaffordable bedroom tax."

Councillor Mac Cafferty said: "The bedroom tax is one of the cruellest components of a cruel coalition attack on the poorest and most vulnerable people. As Greens, we could not stand by while people might face eviction as a result, so we've taken a national lead with this new council policy. We urge other councils to join us and make this government's plans unworkable."

Caroline Lucas MP added: "I congratulate councillor colleagues on taking such a principled stand against this heartless government policy which is both immoral and unworkable."

Speaking for the Brighton & Hove Green Party, chair Rob Shepherd concluded: "This is a radical policy from a radical party, telling the coalition government it cannot have its own way on bedroom tax and welfare restructuring. And it’s a policy that offers reassurance to many council tenants across the city at a time when they desperately need it. No other party would have brought such a relief to Brighton & Hove residents."

The policy takes immediate effect.

Kitcat calls for 'legal, fair and affordable' suggested solutions to Brighton pay cut crisis

I posted an item on the situation in Brighton and Hove where the local Green Party and Caroline Lucas MP have condemned the Council's pay modernisation which involves a pay cut for a minority of workers and increases for others.

Jason Kitcat, Convenor of the Green Group of councillors has responded to the criticism with this article on the Liberal Conspiracy website:

My colleagues and I on Brighton and Hove Council have led this country’s first Green local authority since May 2011, although as a minority administration we can (and do) get over-ruled by Labour and the Tories when they choose to work together.

There’s much we’ve done over the last two years which has been widely welcomed including introducing the Living Wage, building more affordable homes, protecting third sector funding, becoming the world’s first One Planet City and progressing a City Deal, but it’s fair to say that staff pay has been the most controversial issue we have had to deal with.

We inherited a deeply flawed and muddled pay and allowances structure from previous administrations, and indeed from predecessor defunct local authorities.

The lowest paid were not getting a living wage and the work on resolving single status for employee take-home pay (regardless of gender) was incomplete.

The Tory-Lib Dem cuts to local government have also hit us hard: in fact, they are the second steepest faced by any council of our type. Furthermore, we cannot raise Council Tax beyond a level Labour or the Tories would support. Although senior management pay is down to its lowest level for over ten years, the budget is exceptionally tight.

So we’re consulting on a proposal that will bring in fair pay and allowances for all who work for the council.
Building on the Living Wage we’ve already introduced for the lowest paid, we now are seeking to complete the final step of ensuring single status for all council employees.

It is very clear that this is not about budget savings and not about ‘austerity’. In fact, based on the offer under consultation, the pay bill is likely to go up slightly. Which other Council in the country can claim that?
What is the offer then? The offer includes three key aspects:

1) A new fair and simple set of allowances which is easy to understand and helps the council meet the needs of our citizens.With these new allowances 90% of staff will see very little or no change at all in their take home pay. Of those that do, the majority will actually see an increase and a minority will see some detriment. Most of those seeing detriment will, it is estimated, lose less than £25 per week. I recognise even that is a lot to some people, but not the headline figures being used by some individuals.

2) Anyone who is unfortunately suffering detriment will be generously compensated for that loss with a lump sump payment. For example someone losing between £1,001 and £1,250 a year is proposed to receive £3,550 in one-off compensation.

3) We are keen to provide new opportunities for staff. We hope that, if agreed at a future committee, changes like Bank Holiday working can increase opportunities for waste and recycling staff whilst improving services to the city by eliminating changing collection days every time there is a Bank Holiday.

Some staff will regrettably see allowances reduced, but we can see no legal and affordable way merely to increase everyone’s pay up to those levels – and we therefore propose a lump sum to compensate those staff, worth very roughly about three years’ worth of any reduction.

We have to resolve these allowances now. To do so without any detriment to any member of staff would sadly be totally unaffordable, even with Council Tax rises that would certainly not be supported by Labour and Conservative councillors.

I know this process has been controversial and could have been communicated better. Some colleagues locally have concerns about it, to say the least.

I would therefore welcome suggestions from them, as well as from staff and the unions, on how to improve these proposals in any way which is legal, fair and can be afforded within the tight budget limits effectively set by the government as well as our Labour and Tory opposition.

—
For more on the proposals, see Jason’s blog here.
Jason Kitcat is a Green City Councillor. He is writing in his capacity as Convenor of the Green Group of councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council.

Commerce, educational prospectors and political pressure groups take note

There has been a campaign in Brighton against the possibility of Varndean school becoming an academy.  The headteacher and chair of governors have now posted the following notice on the school website:

Varndean school is not about to become an Academy now or in the near future.

Over the next year, we will be sharply focussed on the needs of our students by continuing to develop our excellent classroom practice. We will be sharply focused on standing shoulder to shoulder with our secondary partners to improve learning across the city as a state funded, comprehensive and inclusive school. We will continue to keep abreast of changes in the educational landscape.

In the event that governors foresee national and local changes as having a significant impact on our ability to deliver high quality education for our students suggesting a change of status, there would be a consultative process with staff, students and parents, prospective parents and other interested parties.

In the meantime, we request that staff, students and governors, be allowed to get on with business as usual, free from some of the unpleasantness that we have experienced as a result of this political activity. Our school is run by skilled professionals, ably supported by governors and educational expertise both locally and nationally.  With regards to commerce, educational prospectors or political pressure groups:

Varndean school is not for sale.

Brent secondary schools take note.

Caroline Lucas on Brighton Council Win