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Erswell LABOUR councils elected this May who thought that somehow they would be able to muddle through, keeping. manifesto promises but avoiding ruinous rate rises, are in for a shock.

In a series of articles last week the Guardian leaked an official report on the implications of the government's cash limit plans.

If the local authorities keep to those plans, 20% of fire service jobs will go next year. 28,000 jobs will go in social services. 14,000 teacher 1500 be sacked, anore jobs will go through 'natural wastage' , and nonteaching school jobs will be cut by 3½ %. In higher and further education, one lecturer in 12 will be sacked.

There will be 11,000 fewer places in old people's homes, 3,300 fewer in children's homes and 1,400 fewer in homes for the mentally handicapped. 70,000 fewer people will have home helps.

Altogether, 120,000 local authority jobs will go by 1983-4. The only consolation is that police force numbers will be cut by 10%.

'These figures", the Guardian warns, "are not a prediction of what will happen. Indeed, they are regarded by most civil servants and council representatives as unthinkably harsh.

'They are, however, the best estimate that senior officials can make of what councils could afford if they stuck to the cash limits which ministers tell them they should observe".

The rate support grant figures for next year are not yet fixed. But it seems plain that they will present councils with the choice of making big cuts - if not quite as big as those sketched out in the report - or imposing huge rate rises, or both.

There is no sign that even the most left-wing councils are preparing for this prospect.

For example, Islington council, won from the SDP this May by a left-wing Labour slate, is cúrrently discussing budget plans with the local Labour Parties. This year the council leadership plans to spend what little reserves the SDP left, and so make slow but real progress on the manifesto. So far, so good. But next year?

Labour group leader Margaret Hodge estimates that a 42% rate rise will be needed to continue with the manifesto. And no plans are indicated for campaigning to force more money from the government, other than meetings of Labour leaders from different councus, representations to Haseltine, etc.

In a document circulated for the discussion in the Labour Parties, councillors Pat Longman and • Alan Clinton and Local Government Committee chair Nik Barstow write:

'Our basic manifesto commitment is to campaign to force more money out of the government so we can improve services and make them more accountable, freeze rents, and hold down rates...

"Islington Council should draw up a detailed assessment of how much extra money we will need from the government to carry out our manifesto commitments without payers. We should then go out and publicise the facts in a massive campaign among tenants, council workers and community groups explaining, In simple terms, why we need the extra money, what the benefits should be, and why they should join with us to demand the government pays up."

Without campaigns like that by many Labour groups, the promises of May could turn sour quicker than we think.

NEW OUT!

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plaqing extra burdens on Islington tenants and rate-