West Midlands right wingers hedge their bets
Up with the fares: all
"MY TAKE HOME PAY WON'T TAKE ME HOME!"
By Dave Spencer THIS year there should have been the usual County Council elections in the Metropolitan areas in May - but there will be none. This is because of the Thatcher government's the GLC and the 6 Metropolitan Counties from May 1986.
All of these Councils are Labour controlled. They represent nearly half the population of England major cities. They all have some progressive policies oi sorts - like South Yorkshire's cheap bus fares policy, like Nuclear Free Zones, like campaigns for oppressed sections in the iner cities. If organised properly, they sent a focus for a direct challenge to the government.
This is the reason why they are being scrapped, part of the process of break. ing the labour movement means of democratic expression the working class may have.
Of course many of the criticisms of the GIC and Mets are socialists we need to develop native ideas like perhaps Regional Government including functions like the NHS. Water, gas and electricity. In other words we need to find ways to extend democracy. accountability and community involvement. But this is certainly not the Tory plan. The functions of the present Met Counties, for examples Buses. Fire, Police, will become more like the present Water and Gas Boards more remote. bureaucratic, more expensive and privatised where possible.
The * TeadershiP Council has been Labour Midlands County toothless. They have relied parliamentary lobbyists and the House of Lords. There has been mobilisation even of their workforce, let alone of wider sections of the labour movement. this became quite clear on the discussion over this year's rates precept. Firstly they are frightened just by the threat of court action; secondly they are geting ready to climb aboard the join oards to be set up aiter abolitior
We were told at the Labour Group meeting by Brian Smith, Finance and Secretary of the Labour Group that money would really be no problem this next year abolition! Many staff are leaving, services will be run down, balances and aboard for the
Joint Boards?
reserves could be spent. Nevertheless he proposed a 5% increase in the bus fares to bring in f3.5 milliion in one year. The only reason he gave for this was that Solihull Tory District Council might take us to court for oversubsidisthe bus fares.
ing
Solihull just taken the teachers to court?
Wear opoie od er Mets are planningno plan to scrap raise the bus fares and South after all - but this made no difference.
The arguments and cover the would be the community
- women, the low paid. also that our 1981
Manifesto
Our Way" stated on the first page that there would be no fare increases in the could reprelifetime of the Labour Council. To no avail. The threats were "Do you want to
Cose by 25% when we loe the court be surcharged? Do you want the fares to case?"
and any crease in bus fares will make it easier for the Joint Transport Board to operate
Many next year.
true. and as at the meeting arguing alterresponsible", that is doing exactly what the Tories posite of official Labou Party policy leaving
Labour councillors off the Districts to take over next year.
Many of these already
District Councils as well as the County
W.M.
trary to more no real
OWI
The reason for
Chair because
(BUS
STOP lola who
After all, haven't policy.
the other Mets are planning to
- and Merseyside
Yorkshire are rate capped were used that we hitting the poorest sections of the unemployed, entitled ironically
"Travel present
But there is more to it of course. An inwere about want and exactly the opfares.
everything shipshape for
Midlands rightwingers have got themselves seats on the cillors bus fares.
Council and others plan to do so - con-
County Labour Party
-PrO
Socialist Viewpoint, No. 4, March 1985. Page 16
DEPARTURES P.M THEAE'S ENOUGH ONLY oF you то макс A PREFITART 3 Chair of Transport, Phil Bateman, is now on Wolverhampton District, Chair of Fire I.T. Wilson is on Dudley District, Chair of Economic Development Geoff Edge is on Walsall District and there are at least 10 others of the 74 strong Labour Group.
On the Joint Boards of course they will not have the irritant of a Labour Group or CLPs to chivvy them and to be accountable to - perfect for right wing manoeuvring and patronage. They cannot stand opposition even within the prosup which witually nodded through overwhelmingly right Brain Smith's recommendations which were given verbally on the night not even in the normal form of a written resolution in advance). So much for consultation and democracy. "It's the same half a dozen complainers every year." muttered Chief Whip Len Clarke when several councillors asked questions or objected to raising the bus
The date for setting the rate is March 7 - supposedly a day of solidarity with he rate capped Authorities. In the Wes
County Council the only solidarity will come from those counvoting against the increase in PROFITS