Autumn anti-cuts campaigning questionnaire
Building on Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message
The autumn months of 2017 will be a vital period for building on the support that was generated for Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message in June’s general election.
Local councils will be beginning preparations for their 2018-2019 spending plans, which they will finally agree at budget-setting meetings in February or March next year. The autumn period will include public consultation events and initial discussions with the local council workers’ trade unions.
This is certainly a time to bring into the debate the TUSC policy of ‘No Cuts People’s Budgets’ – of councils using their reserves and borrowing powers to set budgets that don’t pass on Tory cuts and using the breathing space provided to demand that central government makes up future shortfalls. Check out the TUSC campaign tools – the briefing document Preparing a No Cuts People’s Budget, at and the recent TUSC report, How Much Reserves Have They Got?, available online at
What is certain is if Labour councils were led by councillors determined to turn Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message into action, they could play a critical role in forcing May’s government out of office.
TUSC questionnaire
To help TUSC get a clearer picture of whether Labour councillors are preparing to back Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-cuts stance, the national steering committee has produced a short questionnaire (overleaf) for local TUSC groups to detail the situation in their area. If your group covers more than one local authority and you can provide information for all of them, please complete a separate form for each council.
Please try and return questionnaires before the date of the next steering committee meeting in November (to reach us by November 10th). It doesn’t matter if every detail is not complete as information can always be added later. But whatever you can provide will help inform the steering committee’s deliberations on how best to build support for Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message into the new year.
Return to Clive Heemskerk, the TUSC National Election Agent, at To discuss any points you can contact Clive during the day on 020-8988-8773.
Autumn anti-cuts campaigning questionnaire
Building on Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message
Name of council:
Question 1: Labour’s initial budget proposals
What are the main outlines of the council Labour Group’s initial proposals for the 2018-19 budget? Specifically we would like to know if there are cuts to jobs and services being suggested and what they are.
Question 2: The council’s consultation process
Are there details available of any public consultation exercise the council is planning on its budget proposals? Have the local authority trade unions tabled discussions on the 2018-19 budget?
Question 3: The local Labour Party’s 2018 local election manifesto
If the council has elections next year – check out the TUSC directory of elections at – when will the local Labour Party’s 2018 local election manifesto be agreed? This is the responsibility of the Labour Group in consultation with the local party’s Local Campaign Forum – what is the political balance of this body and how has it changed since Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader?
Question 4: Labour candidate selection
How far advanced are Labour’s local candidate selections? Is the rule in Labour’s constitution allowing people to vote in selection meetings after six months membership being applied or are more stringent restrictions operating locally? Where candidates have been selected have right-wing Blairites have been replaced by publically identified Jeremy Corbyn supporters?