Lothian council at sharp point of nev cuts crisis

Scan page 9

opposition Younger's ing is grinding to a standPRESS The Scottish Council of the Labour Party are setting up a council of action to support the seven front-line Labour-controlled local authorities who face cuts totalling £63 million from their rate support grants.

The council of action will involve the Scottish Executive of the Labour Party, the STUC General Council, the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group, and Labour groups in Scottish local authorities.

In announcing this decis ion, George Galloway, Chairperson of the Scottish Council of the Labour Party, explained that the Scottish Executive would be advising councils on the "hit list" to make a reasoned statement". to Mr George Younger, Tory Secretary of State for Scotland, justifying every penny of their spending proposals.

"Hit list"

He further recommended that the same position should be adopted by all other councils who have been asked to revise their budgets by 31 July.

The seven councils on the "hit list" had been asked to cut their 1981 budgets by £63 million or risk the wh sum being deducted fr their rate support grant the coming months.

Conference

All 7 had been ordered to reply by July 3. A majority of councils have replied along: the lines CUTS IN Em Lothian Region £53.00 Stirling District £1.25 Dundee District £2.75 Refrew District £3.80 Dumbarton Dist. £0.75 Cumnock Dist. £0.45 East Lothian Dist. £1.35 Total £63.35 recommended by the Scottish Executive.

A special conference was called by the Scottish Executive at which local authority Labour Groups, District Labour Parties, Regional Labour Parties and the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group were represented.

This conferencé endorsed the proposals of the Scottish Executive and helped stiffen the resolve of local authorities such as Renfrew, where the Labour Group had been considering making an offer of less cuts than Younger wanted, hoping to find some compromise solution.

Unfortunately the conference came too late to prevent Cumnock District Council making a similar compromise offer. ;

However the real test for the Scottish labour movement and the newly formed Council of Action will centre round Lothian Regional Redundancies £53 million of the proposed £63 million cuts are sought from Lothian. Huge redundancies would result even if only half the figure were cut. Lothian Regional Labour Party are determined to fight it out with Younger, and if the Secretary of State goes ahead with his cuts in the rate support grant, the council faces bankruptcy.

Local authority workers were on strike in the Lothian region on Tuesday June 30 and a mass demonstration was held.

The question to be asked is whether the Council of Action will be capable of mobilising the whole of the Scottish labour and trade union movemen: in similar attacks.

TG WU militants oppose cuts