Labour council leaders support Green council on local government finance call

The Labour  leaders of Chesterfield and Darlington councils are supporting calls from the Leader of Brighton & Hove council for the government to come clean on their future proposals for local government finance.
 
Ministers recently made comments at public events and in the House of Commons, suggesting that a future review would undermine councils' management of local finances.
 
Green-led Brighton & Hove began its budget-setting process early, and was the first to declare its intentions at the beginning of December. However 26 councils of all political stripes have since followed after recognising the ‘financial cliff-edge' they face after one year if they accept the one-off grant.
 
Councillor Bill Randall commented:

"The Green administration published our draft budget early to allow for proper consultation with residents. But how can residents get involved in a meaningful conversation about how to protect services from government cuts if the government threatens to move the goalposts so late in the day?
 
"It flies in the face of localism to claim to give councils more power, but then apply penalties if they do something the government disagrees with.
 
"I've asked other council Leaders to join me in demanding that the government come clean on their threats." 

The following councils have decided  increase Council Tax in order to safeguard services:

Brighton & Hove City Council	Grn	3.50%
Chesterfield BC	Lab	3.50%
Darlington BC	Lab	3.50%
Leicester City Council	Lab	3.50%
Middlesbrough Council	Lab	3.50%
Preston City Council	Lab	3.50%
Redcar & Cleveland BC	Lab	3.50%
Stockton-on-Tees BC	Lab	3.50%
Barrow BC	Lab	3.49%
North Dorset DC	Con	3.49%
Stoke-on-Trent City Council	Lab	3.49%
Gravesham Borough Council	Lab	3.48%
Dover DC	Con	3.45%
Taunton Deane BC	Con	3.45%
Luton BC	Lab	3.44%
Gedling BC	Lab	3.40%
Nottingham City Council	Lab	3.40%
Tunbridge Wells BC	Con	3.30%
Scarborough BC	Con/Lib/Ind	3.00%
Surrey CC	Con	2.99%
Cambridgeshire CC	Con	2.95%
East Cambridgeshire DC	Con	2.95%
Peterborough City Council	Con	2.95%
York City Council	Lab	2.90%
South Hams DC	Con	2.50%
West Devon BC	Con	2.50%
Chelmsford BC	Con	2.46%

 

Labour selects Dollis Hill by-election candidate

Labour has selected Parvez Ahmed to be its candidate in the Dollis Hill by-election which takes place on Thursday March 22nd.

Krupesh Hirani writes on his blog that Ahmed is a well-known community actvist in the ward but he did not have a high recognition factor among locals I have spoken to.

The by-election should give local voters an opportunity to express their views on the Labour Council's record including their implementation of Coalition cuts and the controversial private partnership which will lead to the loss of the Old Willesden Library building and the Willesden Bookshop.

Ann John wept for bookshop

Leader of Brent Council, Ann John, told the Executive on Monday that she had wept when the Borders Bookshop at Brent Cross closed. She and her Labour colleagues then went on to approve the redevelopment of Willesden Green Library which will displace the Willesden Bookshop and lead to its possible closure.

There are just three days left to sign the epetition calling for Brent Council to allocate this well-loved and respected LOCAL bookshop in the proposed Willesden Cultural Centre.

If you have not signed the petition please do so now HERE and if you have signed please e-mail the link to friends and neighbours and urge them to sign.

Supermarkets profit from poverty wages

The Green Party has many environmental concerns about supermarkets including their impact on local high streets and the high carbon footprint of their imports. In terms of social justice their low wages, zero hours contracts and extensive use of free labour via workfare are a major issue.

This BBC report brings home how this exploitation boots supermarket profits. Back in 2010 the Green Party's evidence to 21st Century Welfare commented:

Large employers (e.g. supermarkets) benefit from a wage subsidy via tax credits which they do not need. The effect of this subsidy should be reserved for small firms, by requiring large companies to contribute to a special social investment fund with contributions inversely dependent on the margin of their wage rates above the minimum wage, so that those paying least (and thus depending more on the existence of tax credits/benefits to make recruitment viable) would pay more. This fund would be used for social housing investment and to create jobs in voluntary organisations. Large companies would be encouraged to do these things anyway and to benefit from any associated publicity from their sponsorship.