Halifax protest: Calderdale Trades Union Council will lobby councillors over cuts to services

Calderdale Trades Union Council will protest when the full Calderdale Council meets at Halifax Town Hall on November 27.

Under the slogan “Rebuild Public Services, Stop Council Cuts”, Calderdale TU Council members will meet from 5pm ahead of the meeting’s start an hour later.

The TU Council says: “For over a decade, millions of pounds have been cut from council services.

“All sections, but especially the poorest, have suffered from the loss of basic facilities and support.”

Councils must produce a balanced budget and ruling group Labour councillors have criticised reduced funding over a sustained period from the previous Conservative Government.

Amid inflation and a cost of living crisis, it also has had to contend with rising demand particularly on social services for adults and children, which use up more than 70 per cent of the council’s revenue – day-to-day spending – budget.

These are statutory duties it has to provide.

But Calderdale TU Council, while extremely critical of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – the latter for their role in Government with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, argues Labour is now in Government nationally, and well as having control of the council locally.

“We want the latter to refuse to make any more cuts, and to get the new Government to begin restoring the services we have lost, by increasing funding to Local Government.

“It is time to stop attacking local people’s services – enough is enough,” says the TU Council.