CNJ COMMENT - How far will Labour go when the cuts start to hurt?

Published: 2 December, 2010

• IT is not only Ed Miliband who is looking at a “blank sheet” to meet the rush of legislation from the Coalition.

It would not be too much of a speculation to say Labour in Camden is not too far from Ed Miliband’s position.

On the surface, it would not appear so.

Not slow to act, Labour has already drawn up likely targets for the axe.

Nearly 1,000 posts are lined up to disappear – mostly, we understand, through voluntary redundancies or natural wastage. This, of course, will cause less friction among the Town Hall staff, and members of their union, Unison.

But even Labour’s “think tank”, who have drawn up this policy, would know that this  strategy can only see them through part of the coming year.

When more economies are required – what then?

There is only so much flabbiness to be found in staffing.  

Once that has been pruned away, Labour may face a more difficult dilemma – whether to compulsorily dismiss staff or not.

Whether there are hard-minded Labour councillors ready and able to do this remains to be seen.

And this is what lies behind the demonstration last night at the Town Hall by Unison members and, surprisingly, among members of St Pancras Labour party.

Inevitably, there must be tension in this strange alliance.

It is one thing for Town Hall staff to protest against painful economies. Such protests have been held over the decades whenever the administration felt the need to make economies. 

This is to be expected, of course, because Unison exists to represent and protect its members. But where will the protests of St Pancras Labour go – after all it is their colleagues, some of whom are actual councillors, who are carrying out these very same cuts?

Is there a possibility of a split between St Pancras Labour members and Labour councillors? Does this create constitutional problems?

Or are St Pancras Labour members only prepared to go so far – and no further.  

To protest against the cuts, yes, to ask the council to protest publicly against the cuts and even organise demonstrations in Whitehall, yes, but this far – and no further.

An idea that some Unison members find attractive is that Labour councillors should resign en masse – and thus refuse to execute government policies.

This may be attractive to some Unison members but it is unlikely to win adherents among Labour party members.

If Labour councillors resigned, wouldn’t another coalition be formed in Camden to mirror Westminster’s?