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From The Socialist newspaper, 20 October 2021
Northampton People's Budget - cuts and privatisation is a failed strategy
A Socialist Students stall outside Northampton university, September 2021 (Click to enlarge)
Katie Simpson, Northampton Socialist Party
Northampton Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) hosted its first People's Budget meeting on 5 October.
Northampton has been victim to some of the cruellest austerity measures. The council's lack of 'duty of care' was even challenged legally.
The council's failed strategy of cuts and privatisation contributed to it going bust in 2018. Cuts to services for children, the elderly and those requiring special needs have been on top of austerity for libraries, the fire service and support for victims of domestic abuse.
Our People's Budget calls on those services to be reinstated and fully funded. With Northampton still pouring money into PFI privatisation schemes, there is plenty of money for these services.
Housing
Housing was a prominent part of the discussion. Many have their own ghastly stories of how they have been let down by the council.
Northampton is full of empty buildings. We call on the council to take ownership of any homes left empty for more than six months. And for mass building of genuinely affordable, high-quality, carbon-neutral council housing and rent control.
Privatisation has damaged the council's waste collection service. The service should be free, brought back in-house, with a 10% pay rise for the council workforce, while improving their working conditions.
At our meeting, we had representatives from bakers' union BFAWU and Unite the Union, plus someone who has stood as a council candidate for Northampton Save Our Services. We will meet again on 2 November, before presenting our People's Budget to the council. We plan to protest when the council meets to cut a further £30 million from public funds.
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In The Socialist 20 October 2021:
News
Fight for a socialist recovery
Container delay carnage makes the case for socialist planning
Socialist nationalisation not bailouts for the bosses
Workplace news
University workers ballot for strike action
Unite and fight for 30,000 permanent DWP jobs
Gwent valleys Stagecoach bus drivers strike for fair pay
Reinstate Gary Evans! Llanelli postal workers strike
Napo AGM 2021: Union placed on war footing
Scunthorpe scaffs strike for pay
People's budgets
People's Budgets - a socialist answer to cruel cuts
Brighton bin workers' victory in sight
Fight to defend homelessness services
Ealing People's Budget - cuts can be resisted
Northampton People's Budget - cuts and privatisation is a failed strategy
Fighting the cuts at the ballot box in Liverpool
Fall of apartheid
The fall of Apartheid in South Africa
Climate change
COP26: Trade unions must fight for a socialist transition to renewables
Save the planet from capitalist climate catastrophe
International
Austria: Chancellor Kurz resigns amid allegations of corruption
Obituary
Obituary - Tony Davison: "I work for Militant, but Laing's pay my wages"
Campaigns
"Are you the socialist cabby?"
Housing crisis: Tories and Labour are not on our side
Liverpool arms fair: Hundreds of protesters defy police 'dispersal zone'
Hackney children's centres - more education cuts are devastating
Biggest protest yet to save Stratford Circus
Doncaster: Vigil condemns violence against women
Readers' opinion
I'm unemployed: For me vacancy crisis is a lie
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2021