Issues the council can not afford to ignore

The Grenfell fire, a gross injustice, warned us of the horror of deregulation. A few weeks ago Northamptonshire County Council went bankrupt and exposed the failure of cuts. And the collapse of private sector giant Carillion reminds us that councils rely on outsourcing too heavily and at a huge risk to public services. At the heart of all three is standing proof that eight years after their introduction, cuts mixed with the madness of the market have been a toxic disaster.

The context is the Conservative Government cuts agenda but the Labour Council’s proposals for the city have swung the axe eagerly. Their budget hits already marginalised residents - with six figure cuts to adult mental health support, dementia care and sexual health services.

This column will be published after the budget meeting, but I feel confident assuming despite cuts, the budget will pass. Why? Because weeks ago, the Labour leadership sat down and sealed a budget pact with the Conservatives. The conditions of that deal mean the Tories won’t amend the budget, so that Labour’s plans will pass without obstruction. This eager coalition rather contradicts Labour’s protests over the evils of Conservative austerity as little more than rhetoric.

Greens have challenged the council leadership for pursuing cuts that have gone too far, too fast. We are allowed only six amendments to improve the city’s budget and have included plans to reverse some of the worst elements of cuts, including those that prevent more complex problems later, such as social work. Our proposals focus on ways the council could spend to save money, without robbing from other services and prioritise tackling key issues such as homelessness. Instead of spending £4.1m a year on private landlords, the council should bring emergency accommodation in-house. We pushed for smart investments such as renewable energy that will keep bills down. In the face of yet more cuts ahead, a housing crisis and escalating climate change, these are issues the Council cannot afford to ignore.