Residents and trade unionists in Lambeth will launch a campaign against £99m cuts to local services at a meeting on Saturday 5 April.
In a statement today (12 March) the organisers said that the Labour party had promised an end to austerity “but now we are facing some of the worst cuts we have seen since 2010”.
They said Lambeth council is planning £99m in cuts between 2025 and 2029.
“Government housing policy has driven soaring costs of temporary accommodation, this, combined with long term underfunding, leaves councils at breaking point,” they said.
“The proposals include job losses, closing children’s centres, cuts to early intervention and prevention, youth and play services, cuts to adult day centres, and losing £1m from local libraries.”
The trade union Lambeth Unison, which represents council workers, is joining local residents and climate campaigners to host the meeting on 5 April “to fight cuts but also put forward a vision of a better borough”.
There have been two recent protests at Lambeth town hall in Brixton which included veterans of the Save Lambeth Libraries Campaign of 2015.
The campaigners are planning to co-ordinate with other boroughs and work with Unison, which has plans for a national campaign against local government cuts.
“We fought the Tories’ cuts for 14 years and we won’t accept continued austerity under this Labour government,” said Simon Hannah, joint branch secretary of Lambeth UNISON.
“We are tired of everything getting worse whilst the Labour government refuses to tax the rich and big business to properly fund local services.
“Now is the time to unite campaigners who want a better world and start the fightback – why not here in Lambeth?”
The Rally for A Better Lambeth is on 5 April from 11am to 4pm at Lambeth town hall’s Assembly Rooms with speakers from the local community, council workforce and local campaigns.
