Why those council tax referendums are important for local government in the UK today

Today, many of my fellow Young Greens came down to Brighton and Hove to help get local support for an upcoming council tax rise referendum (assuming the inconsiderate Labour and Conservative groups on Brighton, who have been colluding to undermine the Green administration, do not block it), which in my opinion will be needed to protect vital services within Brighton. (I would have joined them there but I was preoccupied with a meeting in London at the same time.) Word has it that Brent Council in London (controlled by Labour) plans to hold such a referendum as well.

 Since the coalition government took power in May 2010, many local councils in England and Wales have seen their budgets greatly slashed by Eric Pickles , who as Secretary for Local Communities has abusive levels of centralised power over local government finance. Many councils as a result have had to close or privatise important services, and further cuts will mean that they will be unable to perform statutory duties of councils effectively. Since the Thatcherite reforms of the 1980s, local councils have been unable to raise rates or other important finances and have thus been largely at the mercy of central government. Now, councils cannot even raise the council tax above 2% without holding a referendum, but we need to hold it anyway as we have no other means of protecting important services at the moment.

 It is clear by now that local government needs more power and more control over its finance, and also the ability to build council homes and seize homes that have been left lying empty for no good reason. We Greens really care about localism-the ConDems do not!

 Alan.

 

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