1987/88 budget: Fight don't fiddle

CAMDEN'S 87/88 BUDGET=: FIGHT, DON'T FIDDLE !

Borough conference voted 79 to 21 in ~ favour of a budget based on implementing the manifesto, coupled with no cuts and no job losses, This and all the conference's other decisions were ratified by the LGC. So far so good, :

However, beneath this apparently broad unity of purpose th-re remain unresolved questions as to how to deal with the budget gap. Whatever borrowing or creative accountancy measures are adopted, it is clear that in practice there will be huge préssure to reconcilé the deficit through cuts, These cuts may appear as ‘'sav ‘ings’

‘ or ‘efficiency’, ag in the case of freezing job vacancies or delaying them, but they would still be cuts. Secondly, the chances of the election of a genuinely sympathstic labour government are slim according

to most estimates. Any other alternative .

would he a disaster for local government. But. simply waiting in the hope that, ona wing add a prayer, Niel Kinnock will help out - would also be a disaster. We wont get anything out of him unless we mobilise and fight for it.

All this adde up to one thing, The need for the left to prepare a strategy of confrontation with central government, as it will almost certainly happen, And as the Ecovermment would confront us by making our present expenditure proposals illegal, that confrontation will have to include illegality. Otherwise there Will Be little chance of maintaining a budget gap as big as ours without cuts,

Taking into account the combined effects of privatisation and the. legal financial restrictions ~ local government faces the high possibility of wholesale dismemberment and its reduction to a tokan local discugsion forum over the next year or.two. In this context, talk of "keeping socialists in power at all costs’ and ‘dented shields’ ig largely irreleyant - ~ there wont he any shields to take hold of,

The horough conference effectively Postponed these Questions. This isn't to argue for a junking of its decisions - simply the need to in recognise that there may be different interpretations as-to how they: shniild

he implemented, If we are to remain

That will mean using the monthly review through the LGC as a mobilising point for the party, the unions and the community for policy of defence of jobs, services and local government ~ the election commitments of the Labour group - if necessary hreaking the law in order to do so.

- Piers Mostyn (Somers Town)

NEXT CAMDEN LABOUR BRIEFING MEETING. : nee OR LEPING MEETING :_

MONDAY 16 MARCH, 8pm, TOWN HALL, BASEMENT STUDY ROOM For further details of Camden

Labour Briefing, phone Fran on

431 0357, or Fred on 387 1361

r)

, the latter

BOYCOTT THE POLICE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTRE | LOBBY THE LABOUR GROUP ON MONDAY 23 FEB. : i

Borough Conference voted overwhelmingly to boycott the Police Consuitative - Cttee .. Hopefully, this will end a particularity sordid affair where councillors crossed picket lines of their own unions and communities Those arguing for participation showed an almost wilful political naivety . \ Vicious poloitical attacks hy the Tories. on local government cannot ‘be = “geperatyed from the growing politicisation of the role of the police at Wapping, against say bars or the BBC They are part of tne same political attack on the working class as a whole You can not vete to defy the former, and then co-operate with - This is not only naive, it is ¢ynical .-It is like saying “we want your help in our fight, but we are not prepared to help you in yours !" Few people even believe that any-good can come about particip ation, but want to. spend a year gathering statistics about the po’ ce . But would this’ tell us anything that we do not alteady know ? Such inconsistencies nét only undermine any fight against rate-caping by antagonising large sections of the local community, they also give the police a public relations forum which they will not hesitate to use against the Council's own Police Cttee -

“Fran ‘Rayner, Hampstead & Highgate -

NEXT. CAMDEN LABOUR BRIEFING MEETING : MONDAY 16 MARCH, 8pm 3

TOWN HALL, BASEMENT STUDY ROOM .

ae | For further details of Camden Labour “Briefing, phone Fran on 431 0357 or Fred on 387 1361 .

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