People will support a stand against this government

Published: 9 December, 2010

• WE need an urgent debate in Camden about the tactics to fight the government’s onslaught on services. 

Its ideological attacks threaten the very future of public services, including upwards of £100million cut to Camden’s funding.

Last week we saw a storm of protest in Camden. Hundreds of people descended on the town hall to join the protest rally. Students led the way by occupying and taking to the streets as part of the movement that has put the government under pressure.

But the Labour council cabinet has been left facing in two different directions. They rightly condemn the government for their situation but say they have no choice but to make cuts that mean slashing 1,000 jobs, the decimation of housing and social services, vital cuts to education and under-fives and 100 per cent cuts in directly-managed youth services. 

Ordinary people and our kids rely on these services. We don’t need to fight the council, we need them to stand with us. They should inform the government they can’t balance their books without breaking their legal obligation and moral duty to provide these services. 

Camden should put this option to local people as part of the consultation which ends in February. Instead of discussing which services to axe let’s debate how to fight and test whether there is backing for such action. I believe local people would mobilise in their thousands in support of the council making such a stand and we would then have the real prospect of stopping these cuts together.

CANDY UDWIN
Levita House, NW1

• YOUR editorial (December 2) is right about the difficulties facing Labour councillors. 

One is that not setting a budget would be a big mark of protest, but would also be to renounce responsibility. We will have to set four budgets before the 2014 elections and the cuts will continue to fall from on high over that time. If we weren’t to agree one this year we would be in a poor position to attempt to mitigate the damage they will do over the entire period.

CLLR ADAM HARRISON
Labour, Bloomsbury ward

• THE powers that be at Camden are spending time, money and energy to make political gain out of the cuts.

They spent nearly £80,000 on posters attacking “national government cuts”. Instead of trying to capitalise on the cuts the council’s leaders should put all their energies into minimising the impacts. They should, as Camden Unison says, work with communities on alternatives to cutting front-line services.

GAVIN CONN
Swinton Place, WC1

• COUNCIL leader Nash Ali looks like he was enjoying himself in your cover story (December 2) protesting about the cuts he doesn’t want to implement.

Instead of condemning the cuts he could be doing something to reduce them.

Unlike other councils Camden has no strategy for sharing buildings with other organisations like the NHS, which could save millions. They’ve talked tough on cutting management costs by clamping down on executive pay; what have they actually done? 

They’ve even still got empty, derelict, properties they refuse to do anything with.

The least they could do is to ask people what services they most want protected and which are a lower priority, rather than just wielding the axe indiscriminately.

LEE BAKER
Regent Square, WC1

• OF necessity cuts to services will hit the poorest and most vulnerable. 

While members of Camden Council persist in sitting on their hands, they will deserve the wrath of the electorate. If they do not stand with us to be counted then any sympathy will rapidly evaporate. They will not be forgiven if they cave in without a fight.

FRAN HERON
Harrington Square, NW1

• I WENT to the meeting and demonstration over the cuts at the Town Hall. 

It was interesting to see the Labour councillors applauding the speeches by the various deputations for a stay of execution and then voting for the implementation of the cuts saying they had no alternative, it was a ConDem directive.

They could have resigned on mass in protest saying they would not implement Tory-Lib Dem policies but as usual spineless Labour councillors doing the predictable thing!

The fallacious argument is that these cuts are necessary. Cut back on war such as in Afghanistan and the disaster of Iraq, Trident, arms and other waste and invest in peaceful production and there would not be this so-called crisis. 

CLEM ALFORD
Tavistock Place, WC1