Yet another year. Yet another February. Yet another budget council meeting in Stockport. And yet again instead of opposing austerity in any meaningful way, a majority of councillors meekly put their hands up and vote for more cuts. Along with yet another hike in council tax to pay for getting less in return.
As a majority of councillors have done for the vast majority of the last 15 years. Including Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and Tories over the years.
One is left wondering why? Why vote for cuts instead of oppose them?
To this question councillors usually reply with either a meek defence of the government’s refusal to fund public services properly, if they are a member of the same party as the government. Or if they are from different party will cite the possibility of the government sending in commissioners to take over the council and make cuts if they don’t.
To this we say, let them send their commissioners! If they try and take over our council, we would call on its workers and councillors to refuse to carry out their work in response. We would call on Stockport’s people to refuse to pay their council tax till the cuts are ended. We would call on Stockport to take to the streets and peacefully protest. To occupy the town hall and other council property and non-violently oppose the commissioners if needed.
Furthermore, we would call on councils, councillors and people across the country to do the same. If councillors had done this 15 years ago, they could have been able to preside over 15 years of growth in council services instead of 15 years of cuts and tax hikes.
The government may well politically survive imposing, via it’s commissioners, cuts on one council, perhaps even a few. But there is no way at all they would survive doing so to a majority of councils. They would be forced into a humiliating climb down.
Even if such actions in the end didn’t succeed in ending year upon year of cuts and tax hikes. At the very least Stockport would have people who actually act like elected representatives. And not like meek managers of capitalisms vulgar and excessive wealth hoarding!
The greatest moments of political change come when the people stand up and refuse to let the status quo continue!
Want to help build a genuine working class party for socialism in Stockport? Then get in touch with us at info@stockportfightsausterity.co.uk