Social Care and the Cuts

Conference condemns the failure of political leaders across the UK to grasp the nettle and implement a long-term sustainable solution to the funding deficit in social care. The numbers of people who need care and support are continuing to grow as a result of our ageing population and medical advances which have improved life expectancy. […]

Impact of Privatisation and the Two-Tier Workforce

Conference notes the ruthless way in which the Conservative-led UK government is targeting local government public services for privatisation. In England, the Localism Act effectively gives non-profit-making organisations and council employees the right to require a service be privatised. The Open Public Service White Paper specifically targets specific services for more privatisation – customer contact; […]

Mutuals and Co-ops

Conference notes the continuing interest in co-ops and mutuals from central and local government. The Localism Act effectively gives council employees in England the right to require a service be privatised, and the government the power to fund them to do so. Both the Mutuals Taskforce and Mutuals Information Service are supporting mutuals ‘spun out’ […]

Cuts / Austerity

Conference condemns the Conservative-led coalition for the widespread and unprecedented destruction of council services that has resulted from the savage and unprecedented reductions in central government grants to local authorities and fire authorities and to the devolved nations. Local government workers have borne the brunt of this in job losses, the pay freeze, and attacks […]