National Councillors Against the Cuts network formed

Councillors Against the Cuts

We are a new network of local councillors formed to support the fight against cuts. We believe that instead of implementing the Coalition’s cuts, councils and councillors should refuse to do so and help workers and communities organise in resistance.

We are pledged to vote against all cuts to services and jobs, increases in rents and charges, and increases in council tax.

We do not accept that cuts are “necessary”: there is plenty of money in society, but it is in the wrong hands. Taxing the rich and business, taking the wealth of the banks and cutting Trident are all rich sources of funds.

We stand in solidarity with anti-cuts campaigns, with people defending their local services and with the broader community, tenants and residents, our children, disabled people, pensioners etc., in defence of the living standards and rights of the most vulnerable people in society as the Coalition government attacks them.

We are working with a network of local government workers and other trade unionists to fight for this policy to be adopted and campaigned for in the unions and labour movement. We believe that close links are needed between Labour councillors and the unions in the public sector whether they are Labour-affiliated or not. We believe that, with the confidence that unions are behind them, many more councillors can be encouraged to refuse to implement cuts — and with the knowledge that councillors will support them unequivocally, many more trade unionists will be prepared to fight back against cuts.

Most of us are Labour councillors and our campaign is sponsored by the Labour Representation Committee, but we are open to all left and labour movement councillors willing to pledge to vote against/refuse to implement cuts.

Whether you are a councillor, local government worker, other trade unionist, anti-cuts campaigner, community activist or Labour Party activist — get involved!

Initial signatories:

Gary Wareing (Labour councillor, Drypool Ward, Hull City Council)

Gill Kennett (Labour councillor, Holderness Ward, Hull City Council)

Kieran Thorpe (Leader of the Labour group and Labour councillor, Hatfield South Ward, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council)

George Barratt (Independent/ex-Labour councillor, Mayesbrook Ward, Barking and Dagenham Borough Council)

Mark Catterall (Labour councillor, Langfield Ward, Todmorden Town Council)

Don Thomas (“Labour councillors against the cuts” councillor, Coxford Ward, Southampton City Council)

Keith Morrell (“Labour councillors against the cuts” councillor, Coxford Ward, Southampton City Council)