Standing Firn Against Cut

Scan page 7

"The imminent legislation announced by Michael Heseltine on 24 September will remove the last vestige of independence A decision to restrict the financial contribution of industry and commerce to the cost of local services will place an impossible burden of rates on working people and their This, together with further reductions of government grants and subsidies, will mean that Labour councils will be unable to maintain even the minimum housing, education Conference, therefore, resolves to mount a major campaign to defeat the proposed legislation. Should this fail, Conference believes that Labour councillors must refuse to make the cuts that will be needed to balance the books.

Conference, therefore, calls on the National Executive Committee to coordinate the struggle of Labour counciliors making this stand, and calls on the trades unions, who face thousands of their members joining the dole queues, to use their strength to defend Labour councils in this fight."

Executive, in personal capacity) ON many Labour councils the Left is now stronger than it was. But usually the left-wingers determined to fight to the end against the Tories' cuts are still a minority. And the fight against the cuts will depend heavily on those minorities standing up and being heard.

Ray Davies has been standing up for a 'no-cuts' policy in Mid-Glamorgan for two years now - and for his pains he has been suspended from the Labour Group. The National Executive Committee has now turned down his appeal and declared that he must remain suspended for another six months.

Ray Davies replies:

During the last two years I've been fighting and campaigning on a firm no cuts platform, both in the valleys of South Wales and throughout the trade union movement.

The main thrust of my argument has been the policies of our party as determined by national conterence.

How can I publicly campaign in the outside community on a firm 'no cuts' from local government.

families throughout the country.

and social services programmes. position and then calmly go into the Council Chamber and vote in public expenditure cuts which cost jobs, services, etc.

In 1980 | voted against public expenditure cuts in the Council Chamber (contrary to the Group decision).

The whip was withdrawn from me and the NEC upheld my appeal.

In November 1981 l again voted against a large package of cuts. I moved reference back and related my resolution specificaily to emergency resolution number 3 on Local Government cuts as passed by the 1981 Annual Conference.

I was again expelled from the group and had the whip withdrawn. My appeal was couched in exactly the same terms as in my 1980 appeal, and yet the NEC has seen fit to turn down my appeal.

Where is the consistency? To whom must we show loyalty, Group standing orders or Party Conference decisions?

I firmly believe I've been dealt with unjustly. I ask that a) the NEC reviews the case, b) reconsiders its decision, c) allows someone outside the Welsh Region to examine the whole case.