labour movement. 'THE Lambeth launch a fightback against the Tory cuts. unions have opted out of this fight.
house land for private development.
reinforce the cuts by penalising the rates by up to 50 per cent to avoid cuts.
ore. then Heseltine's proposals.
arms spending but everything else is being cut.
Pat Kane asked ALAN WALKER, vicechairperson of Liverpool NALGO, why he is attending the 1 November Local Government in Crisis conference called by the Lambeth conference is a real attempt to This is particularly needed when the TUC and the national 'Tory minister Heseltine plans £1,000m cuts that will affect every sector - education and housing in particular. In many areas they will destroy council house building. This has already stopped in Liverpool, whore the Liberal council has let out council 'The Hesel de Bill on local government aims to "overspending local authorities. Last year many authorities raised 'That solution is no longer viable. To defend jobs and services would need rate rises of 75 per cent or the councils would get their government block grant reduced drastically under 'The Tory cuts cannot be defeated at a local to restore services housing investment programmes.
groups time. against the Tories, evel. National solutions are necessary. Interest free central government grants should be provided 'But of course the Tories won't do that. They're cutting other nationally-funded services like the 'The Lambeth people are right to call for Labour and local authority trade unions to unite around a programme of national industrial action. This could take different forms, such as not coverhas refused to collect any increased charges for Meals on Wheels or Home Help services. The Tories hope the extra charges will lead to fewer people using them, so they can be chopped altogether.
If we can unite all the public sector against the cuts we can link up with the wider fight especially on jobs.
'We all need shorter working and the 35-hour week, none more so than the direct works departty we have had to forge that unity and to begin a national campaign of action against the Tory cuts.' Al Walker Local unions Government in SW2 1RW.
'A LABOUR 'London Council will demand that the Labour government will ... nationalise the banks the and at the same time Government National Labour and Trade Union Conference Camden Town Hall 1 November For details of registration write to 'Local Crisis Conference', Committee, Room Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London Greater annul local authority debts "This would free local authorities burden of debt charges and allow bank to grant interest-free loans fund services and developments.' These pledges are part of the manifesto adopted by special delegate conference of the London Labour Far next MaYhe manifesto also endorsed an appeal to dustrial action to back the council's against the Tories.
Photo: GM COOKSON (Socialist Challenge)
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ing for posts that have been cut, or stopping over- 'Our social services department, for example,
ments. So we need the support of the industrial 'The Lambeth conference is the best opportuni-
'Nationalise banks' - Labour council manifesto