opposition, is an abhorrent and unacceptable procedures. The last six years have seen an government, either through the withdrawal of local authorities' responsiblities without the essential financial support from central government for their full implementation. It therefore confirms support for those Labour councillors, trade unionists and other the rate support grant stolen from their authorities, and trade unionists who took industrial action in their support.
with these laws is a continuing struggle: a) several local authorities have a clear deficit claw back in income. b) councillors in Lambeth and Liverpool are defence of their local communities and workrate support grant and the cost of taking over whole labour movement;
whether implemented by Labour and Tory Councis. Government's policy towards local government, notably through the 1984 Rates Act with its related framing and use of the law to eliminate political violation of fundamental democratic values and unprecedented level of legislation against local iocal decision-making powers or by adding to representatives of the labour movement who are trying to implement the policy of non-compliance with rate-capping, the penalty system and the equivalent claw back legislation in Scotland. It congratulates those councillors who voted not to set a rate in 1985 until the Government restored Conference recognises that non-compliance budget for 1985/6 which will lead to crisis at the beginning of 1986 when, at the same time, they and others are likely to be facing a new rate cap or being threatened with disqualification, surcharge and bankruptcy for supporting Party policy in c) all councillors who resisted rate-capping are d) the combination of rate-capping, reductions in services as a result of the abolition of the GLC and Metropolitan counties will lead to even more severe cut-backs in 1986/7 if not challenged by the e) Cuts and redundancies achieve the same results services and jobs, and is nothing less than a fight to defend the future of housing, education, social services and the standard of living of all working and unemployed in this country.
Conference recognises that different local authorities face different problems, that tactics must reflect local situations and that the same approaches will not always be applicable in all situations. To make its support practical, conference resolves to:
Call upon the National Executive Committee and Parliamentary Labour Party • to support and campaign wholeheartedly with Labour local authorities and trade unions for non-compliance with these unjust laws; • campaign vigorously in support of those democratically elected councillors who are being threatened by unelected district auditors with removal from office for carrying out the mandate on which they were elected; • link the struggle against rate-capping and cuts in local authority expenditure with the Party's economic and social policies and the Jobs and Industry Campaign as an integral part of a national campaign for jobs and public services, in which a central role must be played by the Party leadership; il) Reconvene the National Local Government Conference within three months in order that precise and united tactics for non-compliance in 1986/7 may be determined ili) Commit the next Labour Government: • To repeal the rate-capping and claw back legislation; • To restore the rate support grant taken in penalties by this Tory Government: • To fully compensate those representatives of the labour movement who have suffered personal loss, bankruptcy, disqualification or whatever as a result of non-compliance with these laws;
To reassure the relationship between central and local government finance to provide the maximum freedom for local councils to meet the needs of their communities.
Moved by Sheffield Heeley CLP, seconded Labour Party conference.
St ist Action 12 March 1986