Isle of Wight independents resign over cuts

photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

The chief independent councillors on the Isle of Wight have resigned over central government funding cuts.

The council's leader and deputy "continually requested the Conservative government to recognise" the need for more funding. Their requests went unheeded.

Even attempts to challenge 'sustainability and transformation plan' NHS cuts received the response "that such action may prejudice other funding - essentially a form of blackmail."

Standing down rather than attacking local workers and residents is nobler than the spineless compliance of most councillors. But it won't solve the problem. Only fighting back has the potential to do that.

Anti-cuts councillors must set no-cuts budgets using reserves and borrowing powers. This would buy time to build a mass working class campaign to win the needed funds from Westminster. Any councillors unwilling to do this should stand aside - for fighters, not cutters.

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