‘It’s time for Bristol to tell the Government austerity has gone too far’

Bristol’s mayor stands accused of being too soft with the Government on austerity, while making cuts under the “spin of sensible” budgeting.

Marvin Rees was told to take tougher action against the budget reductions that are crippling the city at a full council meeting on Tuesday (December 12), as Green councillors pressed him to “take the fight to Westminster properly”.

It was Labour councillor for Ashley, Mike Davies, who put forward an anti-austerity motion, saying in his inaugural speech:

“The Government would like us to think it is normal to have our national debt sky-rocket, for growth and productivity to stagnate, for average incomes to flat-line – well, it is not normal and it doesn’t have to be this way.

“Austerity was an excuse, an ideological choice to shrink the state, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest. The human costs have been catastrophic. Public services are on their knees, one in four children live in poverty, over a million families depend on food banks, homelessness has soared. All this for the sake of savings that are not actually savings in the long run.

Mike Davies says it’s clear austerity has failed

“There is nothing radical about what I am arguing for, public services that work, decent homes for people, infrastructure fit for the 21 century – it is clear that austerity has failed and the Government has failed.”

He was met with loud applause and his motion was voted through with a large majority.

But the Greens say it fails to go far enough. They want Bristol to take a stand and say the council could take a lead from Stroud Council, which intends to withhold a payment of £500,000 revenue support grant money that the Government is trying to claim back.

Carla Denyer says the mayor’s ‘softly softly’ approach is failing

Proposing an amendment to the motion, Carla Denyer, councillor for Clifton Down, said the mayor’s previous request to the Government was ignored by ministers.

“What us Greens, and the wider anti-austerity movement in Bristol, have been calling for all along is for Marvin to properly take the fight to Westminster,” she said. “To tell Government that they have gone too far, and that you refuse to cooperate until they compromise.

“Now that the softly-softly approach preferred by the mayor has been demonstrated to achieve nothing, we feel that our calls are even more justified, and the time is now.”

Estella Tincknell argues the Greens’ amendment is based on a flawed premise

Estella Tincknell, Labour councillor for Lockleaze, argued that the amendment was based on a false premise.

Reading a letter from the leader of Stroud District Council, she stressed that while the cross-party alliance might be taking a stand on repayment of revenue support money, it will not be withholding business rates, or setting an illegal budget.

It is this that is key, as the Labour administration has said all along it will not set an illegal budget, despite the “heart breaking” cuts it is being forced to inflict on the city.

Tincknell said: “You know as well as I do that we will be made an example of and the Tories will take control.”

In a statement, Rees added: “Local Labour mayors and councillors across the country remain at the forefront of the fight against austerity.

“Both Bristol and Stroud councils have ruled out setting an unbalanced, illegal budget.”

Anthony Negus, the Lib Deb councillor for Cotham, added his support for the Green amendment, saying it adds some clout to the anti-austerity motion.

His own party added its own amendment, but both amendments failed to get through.

On the other side of the fence, Conservative councillor for Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze Geoff Gollop accused Labour of following Donald Trump’s policy of diplomacy by asking the Government for investment and power, while at the same time, slamming it’s austerity regime.

Davies’ motion states the Tories’ austerity agenda has failed, while putting “unprecedented pressure on adult social care, children’s social services, schools, policing and making life worse for ordinary Bristolians.”

People took to the streets in September to protest against austerity but the Government has so far failed to listen

It calls for the Government to support the mayor’s housing infrastructure bid, submitted in conjunction with the West of England Combined Authority, for more than 4,0000 new homes near Temple Meads, as well as increased powers, investment and an end to austerity.

Speaking after the meeting, Green group leader Councillor Eleanor Combley said: “It’s a shame that Bristol’s Labour group has voted down our amendment calling for tougher action.

“Under the spin of ‘sensible’ budgeting, Labour councils in Bristol, and around the country, are making deep cuts to services, many of which will be difficult or impossible to reverse. The past few months have shown just how weak the Tory government is and, at this point, direct action, coordinated with other councils, would actually have the potential to change things.

“Shutting our amendment down is a perfect demonstration of how the mayor is putting the interests of the Labour Party before the city and betraying everyone who voted for Labour’s anti-austerity platform.”

Read more: Bristol mayor’s rallying call for action against austerity