Osborne’s cuts take us ‘Back to the Future’ with a vengeance

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour’s leader in local government, denounced the cuts on local council budgets announced yesterday by the Chancellor George Osborne. The Tory-Lib Dem Coalition’s £6.25bn cuts package includes measures to reduce grants to local authorities by £1.165bn in the financial year 2010-11.

He said: “Councils, already the most efficient part of the public sector, are expected to find 20% of this cuts package. The figures seem to have been plucked out of thin air, and clearly there will be worse to come.

“This is ‘Back to the Future’ with a vengeance. I well remember 1979 when the Tories came into office claiming they’d set local government free. Within weeks they announced financial penalties on so–called ‘overspending councils’. This year they talked grandly about localism, but what they’ve localised is cuts in local services. They’ve even stopped the Future Jobs Fund dead in its tracks, when councils of all political colours had used this funding to help create 40,000 new jobs and training opportunities for local people.

Labour councillors ‘declare war’ on the BNP

Labour councillors across the country will today warn that they will not stand for the brand of politics being peddled by the BNP in our communities. In a radical new report published today, Local Labour argues it is time to get tough on the BNP, and declares that it will challenge the forces of far right extremism at every step.

A day after Gordon Brown called for ‘a united front against the BNP’, Labour councillors have now come together to publish a major new report, ‘Challenging the BNP’, which sets out how the party must tackle far right politics. This is the first time Local Labour has set out such a comprehensive strategy for taking on the BNP and the intervention will ensure councillors in every community are well equipped for the battle ahead.

The report sets out that some people in white working class communities do feel disconnected from politics and have fears about housing and public services. But the BNP capitalise on these genuine concerns by spreading rumours about who’s to blame and dividing communities to achieve their perverse ideological ambitions. Local Labour is under no illusion about how serious the consequences of this could be. Councillors will work hard to show they are on the side of local people, respond to their concerns and take the BNP out of the equation.

115 Labour council leaders announce radical plans to protect frontline services

Today 115 Labour leaders in town halls across England and Wales have announced they will become Co-operative Councils, by signing a radical charter to protect frontline services.

In a direct challenge to the Tory EasyCouncil model of no frills, minimal public services in which people have to pay more for extra, Labour Leaders have set out their stall to deliver better public services at better value for money. In contrast to the Tory model, which left elderly residents in Barnet fighting in the high court for their right to resident wardens in care homes, Labour Co-operative Councils will run services in the interests of the whole community and give more power to the people.

In practice this means Labour Co-operative Councils will find new ways to involve people in getting the services they want and need. Today’s commitment on behalf of 115 Labour council leaders signals a stark choice for the electorate. It’s between protecting the services that are the lifeblood of our local areas upon which people depend, or savage cuts to frontline services under the Tories which would leave communities to bear the brunt of consequences alone.

Four housing questions for the Conservatives from local Labour

Councillor Tony Newman, LGA Labour Group lead on housing, said: “In the light of this week’s announcements from Housing Minister John Healey, which offer councils the freedom to fund and run their council homes without central government subsidy, local Labour would now like to ask four questions of the Tories:

* Are the Tories now committed to the Decent Homes programme?

* Do local Tories agree with the Tory frontbench proposals to remove security of tenure for social housing tenants?

* Do the Tories now agree that the proceeds of sales of council housing stock should go back into building new council housing, in contrast to the previous Tory Government’s refusal to allow councils to use receipts to replenish stock?

* What is Tory policy on rents from council housing?

Labour takes the initiative with new deal for housing

Housing Minister John Healey has today announced a far reaching new deal to give councils the freedom to fund and run their council homes, without central Government subsidy.

Responding, Cllr Tony Newman, LGA Labour Group’s lead on housing, said: “Today’s announcement shows that only Labour is taking the initiative on housing and making sure extra money goes into building much needed homes for the future. This deal lets councils get on with the job by providing more freedom and capacity to deliver.

“Councils are well placed to respond to the needs of their communities and Labour Groups across the country are committed to providing more homes, which are affordable and of a high quality. The LGA Labour Group has long argued for greater flexibility and autonomy for local government, and we applaud John Healey for rolling up his sleeves and initiating radical reform that enables councils to deliver for their communities.

Tory plans to publish local government pay challenged

Sir Jeremy Beecham challenges LGA Conservatives on Cameron’s proposals to identify individual local government pay packages.

David Cameron has announced a raft of requirements for local councils to follow, including the publication of all individual items of public expenditure over £500, publish every procurement contract they sign and publish online the details of all local government staff pay packages over a threshold of around £60,000.

Responding to the proposals, Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour’s Leader in Local Government, said “These proposals from David Cameron, the self-proclaimed champion of localism, are an unnecessary bureaucratic burden and an infringement of the privacy of thousands of public servants. Is he singling out local government as an easy political target? It’s surprising he’s not suggesting that every public body from schools to hospitals, colleges to universities should do the same, so that the details of every head teacher, GP or senior academic is also online, together with vast numbers of contracts, large and small.

David Sparks elected Leader of Labour in Local Government

Councillor David Sparks (Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council) has been elected as the new Leader Elect of the LGA Labour Group. He won in a contest with Councillor Peter Box (Wakefield Metropolitan District Council) and Councillor John Merry (Salford City Council).

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour’s Leader in Local Government, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Councillor David Sparks as Leader Elect of the LGA Labour Group. David will take over the leadership after I stand down at the LGA Conference in July. He has worked tirelessly and effectively over the years on behalf of local Labour in Dudley, in the West Midlands, and nationally as part of the Leadership team at the LGA. I know he has the experience and skills to lead the LGA Labour Group and will continue to fight the corner for Labour Councillors within the LGA, the Labour Party and the media.

“In the potentially turbulent political and economic times ahead, it is more important than ever that Labour in Local Government has a strong collective voice, anchored both in the communities we represent and in the values we as a party cherish.