Report published 9th December,1993 Labour Forward.
Thanks to all those who helped deliver Labour Forward in time for the Budget. I've received 5 cases raised as a result.
The Budget.
The Tories didn't extend V.A.T. any further this time because it had become politically un-viable. Labour played its part.
Instead, the Tories scraped around trying to find any new way - car and home insurance tax, airport tax, motorway tolls - to raise taxes.
They did not however abandon the tax concessions to the Kuwaiti Royal family (cost £1.5 billion p.a.), repeal of the share transaction tax (cost £1.2 billion p.a.) or the Local Government re-organisation (projected cost - £1.2 billion).
Campaigning.
I hope to produce another Labour Forward soon to highlight these Tory priorities and the problems the County & City Councils will face in maintaining public services in the next financial year.
11% Council Tax Increase.
The capping level has been increased by 1.75% whilst the grant has only been increased by 0.51%.
This had been predicted by our officers, so the cuts to our programmes in previous newsletters do not need to be increased.
To maintain the services as planned, the Council Tax will be increased by about 11%.
The likely Council Tax for a house rated Band D in the City is £685.
Education Debate.
A Tory motion at full council called for more variety in our schools.
At one stage, the Tory spokesperson called for the return of grammar schools.
When however do we ever hear Tories calling for the return of secondary moderns!
Inner City Problems.
I've recently received a letter from a headteacher of an inner-city comprehensive showing nearly 80% of their intake have a reading age below their chronological age.
Their intake is no longer truly comprehensive; more able pupils are creamed off by the C.T.C.; parents of more able children perceive schools in leafy suburbs provide a better education; and so on.
In this context, the Tory motion was unreal.
Increased Spending?
The Tories boasted about increased public spending on education because Government's projected spending is up on last year's projected spend; however it is less than this year's current spending.
Further, the school roles are set to increase by 123,000 in England & Wales this year!
C.S.A. The Child Support Agency is getting very controversial. Tories in a safe Tory ward in Shrewsbury have resigned from their party because of it.
Neighbourhood Patrols.
The Home Secretary's call for neighbourhood watches to conduct their own patrols of their locality may be a flash in the pan.
But it has a special relevance to the neighbourhood of Byford Close, Bladon Close, Morley Avenue and Gordon Rise where the neighbourhood watch has done just that.
It's important for such schemes to receive some formal guidelines.
But Labour's long-term strategy must be to tackle the problems in society that lead to high crime, to call for an effective police force for all areas and to be wary of the growth of these schemes which in the long term might only be affordable for the wealthier parts of society.
Further, private security firms are not trained to respect people's civil liberties nor are they accountable in the way the Police are.
Prostitution.
I met the Chief Constable along with John Heppell M.P. to discuss possible solutions to prostitution. With Mapperley Road in mind, we were particularly concerned to tackle street prostitution and the nuisance it causes residents.
Trouble is, every possible solution raised attracts a whole series of reasons why it's not acceptable and won't work.
Perhaps we need a series of experiments across the country to see what happens in practice. This too attracts opposition on the grounds that local schemes cause extra problems for those localities.
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