[OccupySheffield] [OccupySheffieldPrivate] ACTION OUTSIDE THE TOWN HALL - JAN 6 - in response to the letter from the Leader of the Council - Julie Dore

[Gemma Short]

Like Mark says there is a precedent on this. I had a very similar
discussion with the deputy leader of the council on strike day who happened
to run the sandwich shop I popped into! After the Poplar Revolts in the
1920s the law was changed so that Cllrs that break the law and set a 'needs
budget' or refuse to pay some bills owed to fund public services or jobs
will not go to jail. The government quickly realised that those going to
jail were a rallying point for further protest. What happens now is that
you *can* get sacked from your position and the council 'put in special
measures' so to say. However non of this is a reason not to do it. Setting
a needs budget and refusing to pass on the cuts is a matter of who's side
are you on. If you are a Labour Cllr you are there to represent the labour
movement, represent us. Therefore 'doing your job the best you can' would
involve setting a needs budget, diverting resources to jobs and services,
not trying to 'make the least bad cuts' (as the Labour Cllr I spoke to was
arguing he was doing). And whilst you're doing that you consult constantly
with the Labour Movement and build a campaign around what you are doing, so
if the council is sacked the campaign is ready and waiting outside the town
hall. With other people ready to stand in any future elections on the same
basis.

Poplar is a truely inspirational piece of evidence about how it can be
done, and also about what sniveling cowardly Labour Cllrs were doing in
other boroughs of London at the time. A comrade of mine Janine Booth has
just writing a very good book on it -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0850366941/ref=sc_pgp__m_A32URQ5ABUDITS_1?ie=UTF8&m=A32URQ5ABUDITS&n=&s=&v=glance

In solidarity
Gemma

On 5 January 2012 15:21, <marknbarrett at googlemail.com> wrote:

> There is historic precedent for Councillors to defy the centre as with
> early 20th C  George  Lansbury and the Poplar Cllrs some of whom famously
> went to prison over such an issue ;)
> Sent from phone
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jean wildgoose <jeanwildgoose at yahoo.co.uk>
> Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 14:06:36
> To: David Kirkham<davidkirkham at live.co.uk>; Occupy General<
> occupysheffield at email-lists.org>
> Reply-To: jean wildgoose <jeanwildgoose at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [OccupySheffield] [OccupySheffieldPrivate] ACTION OUTSIDE THE
>        TOWN HALL - JAN 6 - in response to the letter from the Leader
>        of the Council - Julie Dore
>
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