A meeting led by Croydon Trade Union Council was held yesterday (Saturday 18th February) at Ruskin House in Coombe Road.

The well-attended meeting had trade union members, disability rights groups, ratepayers associations, anti racism groups, former councillors and a former mayor of Croydon discussing a campaign to persuade Croydon Mayor, Jason Perry to abandon his plans to hike the council tax rate in Croydon by 15%.

Speaker after speaker condemned the decision by the Mayor to increase the council tax by this huge amount. Criticism was also levelled against Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Levelling up Michael Gove, who has dispensed with the statutory requirement to have a local referendum if an increase of more than 4.99% is proposed.

The meeting also discussed the huge cuts in funding from central government which have caused large shortfalls in budgets available to fund basic council services. Kevin Smith, President of Croydon Trade Union Council said that ‘any campaign to halt this appalling increase in council tax must also be seen in the light of the low level of Croydon’s central government grant in comparison with our neighbouring boroughs. It is vital that we campaign hard to see that Croydon is fairly funded. We obviously cannot rely on the Croydon Mayor to represent Croydon’s interests’.

The Council is meeting on March 1st at 6.30pm to discuss the proposed budget and Croydon TUC and the other co are asking Croydon residents to come to the Town Hall entrance in Katherine Street to lobby their local councillors. The lobby is due to start at 6pm, but as it may be busy it may be an idea to turn up from 5.30pm onwards.

Kevin Smith said ‘Croydon TUC represents Croydon workers and we know from our day to day work that the cost of living increases have had a severe effect on our members. This council tax hike, coupled with yet more cuts that are proposed are going to make life unbearable for our hard working members. Please come along to the lobby to make your voice heard and if you are not able to come, let your friends, work mates and neighbours know. Let’s show the Mayor that this hike is utterly unacceptable’.