Lambeth unions tell Labour council: ‘We won’t take cuts lying down’

by Andy Tullis, Lambeth Unison children’s services convenor (personal capacity)

“Isn’t this just like old times”, said one of the speakers on Lambeth Town Hall steps, as a crowd of 60 protesters gathered to oppose the council’s cuts.

Lambeth Council in south London has announced at least £50 million worth of ‘budget savings’. The cuts will affect children’s services, like youth and play and children’s centres, again, and also housing, including services for the homeless. The council’s ‘financial strategy’ includes vague plans to utilise AI to get them out of their budgetary black hole, go figure.

Lambeth cuts protest
Lambeth Unison protest opposing Labour’s cuts.
Photo: Berkay Kartav

Hated Tories, hated Labour

The same speaker also said this is not ‘old times’. We’re not fighting austerity under the hated Tories. We’re now under a Labour government, so there should be no excuse for Labour councils, like Lambeth, to attack local services and jobs.

The old excuse from Labour councils, that there nothing they can do about underfunding and cuts passed down from central government, has gone. Labour councils should join with trade unions and community groups in a national campaign for proper funding of local government services.

Councils should use their borrowing powers, and unallocated reserves, to not make cuts, and keep services running, while such a campaign mobilises.

We’ve won before

One of the speakers at the lobby reminded the crowd of the successful campaign to save children’s centres back in 2019, where staff won a ballot for strike action, and the Labour council had to make major concessions.

Socialist Party member Theo Sharieff spoke from the platform about a political programme against the cuts — including the workers’ movement breaking with Labour, standing independent anti-cuts candidates in local elections, and building a new mass party of the working class to fight austerity, poverty, and war. There was an enormous wave of enthusiasm, especially from younger members of the crowd.

This lobby was just a warning shot to the Labour council. Trade unions and the community won’t take these cuts lying down.

The full budget-setting meeting is in March. So a broad anti-cuts campaign now needs to be rebuilt in the borough. Council unions need to formulate a joint programme of industrial action to protect services and members’ jobs.