- Conference
- 2006 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 16 February 2006
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the pre-budget report of the Chancellor and welcomes the fact that public spending up to 2008 has been maintained as planned and that the taxation shortfall due to lower economic growth has been plugged with greater taxation of North Sea oil companies. Public sector jobs are due to grow by about 250,000 as a result.
However, Conference regrets the misguided efficiency targets damaging service delivery, the job cuts in many areas, the outsourcing and the artificial pay restraint being called for.
Conference welcomes the focus on affordable housing and the Planning-Gain Supplement on developers but believes that affordable local authority housing to rent is being neglected.
Furthermore, senior citizens will benefit from £300 million over three years for the installation of free central heating and the winter fuel allowance will continue for every year in this Parliament and be worth £200 for households over 60 and £300 for the over 80s.
Conference also notes with concern the Chancellor’s continued support for off-balance sheet accounting treatment that drives the focus on wasteful PPP/PFI schemes. Enron economics are not the way to finance essential public services.
Conference, therefore, resolves to campaign for:
1)progressive taxation to fund public services that meet social need and cut poverty;
2)the end of deliberate tax avoidance by the United Kingdom’s largest companies using off shore accounting;
3)the reform of public finances to remove off-balance incentives in the funding of public services;
4)direct investment options for council housing;
5)a decent income in retirement for all our pensioners.