[OccupySheffield] [OccupySheffieldPrivate] ACTION OUTSIDE THETOWN HALL - JAN 6 - in response to the letter from the Leaderof the Council - Julie Dore

[Mick Ibbotson]

Jean, David, all

>Hi David - am in absolute agreement about our opposition to Govt policy but my understanding is that SCC would be acting unlawfully if they do not implement cuts as dictated by Central govt which could then move in and take over. So we can demonstrate against govt policy but it would seem SCC has it's hand tied?

As I understand it, the Govt have not said councils have to cut services - that would be political suicide - what they have done is reduced the budgets the council receives - how the council deals with that is a matter for them. What would be an issue if the council refused to set a budget - as Labour as opposition did last year when they could have easily overturned the Lib Dem proposal then Eric 'Communities' Pickles would simply send a team in to set a budget and everything would be slashed as they went - there would also be an issue of the council being fined, meaning further extensive cuts in the years to come.  

So in effect, Jean you are right their hands are tied. Politically it would be an issue not to set a budget which would haunt them for years to come.  This consultation with the public is a farce - 99% of us don't have access to the budgets to which to make an informed judgement from - however it does give a 'get of jail free' card to the likes of Dore and Lodge - as they can say 'well its what the public wanted?' - at the end of the day all the consultation will do is give the racists and bigots in our society a platform to rant about their chosen issues. As the council have been already been briefing councillors on the budget cuts - the decisions are already made - just not made public. 

And finally we come to SACA - fighting the cuts - but not willing to raise issues with the Labour council or previous government who are equally to blame for the problems we face locally. What alternatives are they offering - so far they are rattling the drum, saying 'no to the cuts' but fail to disclose what they will do differently. They have no alternative, no solution. The only active political group in the city with thought out alternatives are the Greens and they are marginalised in the SACA movement. 

No doubt tomorrow they'll be criticised by the SACA speakers for suggesting alternatives - but its a no-brainer. Its important to protect services where possible to the most needed or where the services can be best provided with the best outcomes but I suggest that Labour will simply prop up their pet projects and damn the rest and use the cuts as an excuse. 

I agree we should protest about the unfairness of it all, but suspect the people making the decisions will not take that into account at all.

Mick
Green Party member



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://www.email-lists.org/pipermail/occupysheffield/attachments/20120105/9ca84b2a/attachment.html>