Anti-cuts protesters march on Whitehall
Council officials, public sector workers and trade unionists take to the streets on Wednesday
Published: 22 October, 2010
by TERRY MESSENGER
HUNDREDS of anti-cuts protestors from Islington joined a march to demonstrate against huge reductions in public spending announced on Wednesday.
Labour council leader Catherine West and finance chief Richard Greening were among crowds marching on Whitehall as Chancellor George Osborne outlined government budget cuts of 19 per cent.
The borough’s Labour leaders marched side by side with trade unionists and members of the borough’s main anti-cuts group Islington Hands Off Our Public Services.
The Islington contingent was particularly concerned about plans to limit housing benefit for private tenants and hike rents for council tenants which, they fear, could drive people on low and modest incomes out of the borough.
Councillor West told a rally during the protest: “What does this government want to do? Take away the housing grant and make it difficult for people who are already struggling.
“We have to say no to this Tory government. We have to say no to the housing benefit cuts. In Islington alone, 600-800 households will be affected by housing benefit cuts.”
Government funds for local authorities took an above average hit in the spending reductions and will be chopped by 7 per cent per year until 2015 – a cumulative total of 27 per cent.
Islington Council officials are calculating the implications but estimate that £100million will need to be sliced off the borough’s budget over the next four years.
Cllr West told the Tribune: “Islington has some of the worst areas of deprivation in the country. This week, the government has pulled the rug from under us.”
The cuts have already begun in Islington with the announcement of 41 redundancies among teachers and the withdrawal of funding for 11 community police support officers (PCSOs) serving primary schools.
Islington Police commander Superintendent Mike Wise warned on Tuesday that police numbers in the borough could fall further – hinting that crime would rise as a result.
A council and police crime prevention partnership is being lined up for a 50 per cent budget chop with a project targeting organised crime among schemes likely to be abolished.
Liberal Democrat council opposition leader Terry Stacy commented: “Of course these cuts are tough and it won’t be easy. It is tragic that the last Labour government’s dash to splash the cash has made these cuts necessary. Their legacy means £22,400 of debt for every Islington resident.”
‘Tories would make Thatcher blush’
JEREMY Corbyn MP for Islington North accused the coalition government yesterday (Thursday) of creating the “nastier elements” of Victorian Britain over plans to beef up rents for council tenants.
The Labour MP also took a swipe at the Lib Dems nationally for supporting the attack on council tenants.
“I have supported the Lib Dems on some issues in the past,” he added. “But now they are hooking up with a bunch of ideological Tories who would make even former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher blush.” He warned that the government’s comprehensive spending review which will mean the loss of at least 500,000 jobs will hit housing badly.
“The start of new house building under the last government will be effectively halted,” he added.
But Mr Corbyn was appalled at the government’s plan to cap housing benefit payment, which will mean many tenants losing their homes if they can’t afford additional rent requirements.
“They are proposing that any new council housing tenancy rent will be levelled at 80 per cent of the market value,” he said. “That means in Islington most new council tenants will be faced with at least double the rent of existing tenants.
“On top of that, tenants will no longer enjoy security of tenure which is right of all council tenants .
“This two-tier council tenancy system will be immoral and disastrous for community cohesion.”
He added that under the government plan, new families will pay twice as much as next door neighbours and have their tenancy reviewed every five years.”
“It all takes us back to somewhere before 1920 and the nastier elements of Victorian Britain,” Mr Corbyn said.