Asking Councillors to let us speak at budget meeting this evening

 Dear Councillors

Our deputation against the cuts to the Council Tax Reduction scheme, which  was to be led by Susan Pashkoff of East London Community Unite tonight, was blocked on the grounds that scheme was not on the agenda. 

I do not speak for the other members of the deputation, but in my view this was pure sophistry, these proposed benefit cuts will reduce the incomes of the most vulnerable families in Redbridge and so deepen poverty. The cuts are part of the budget which will be voted upon this evening. 

English child deaths are rising in a BBC report titled “Child death rates on the rise in England” of last November. The Guardian reported on 27th February that:

“Millions of people – including one in five families with children – have gone hungry or skipped meals in recent weeks because they could not regularly afford to buy groceries, according to new food insecurity data.”

Conservative central government cuts are the root cause of the issue. Which is why the “don’t starve families team” went to 10 Downing Street on the 27th February asking for emergency funding. We referenced Cllr Athwal’s claim that Redbridge had the third worst settlement in London from central government as a reason for additional funding. The letter handed in to 10 Downing Street is at the campaign blog which you will find by looking at my tweets. 

Redbridge does not have to vote for these cuts tonight. This is a big issue which needs to debated, there are campaign and financial options to consider.  Your help making sure our deputation is heard by you this evening would be very welcome, by calling for standing orders to be suspended when deputations come onto the agenda and proposing our deputation is heard.

Regards

 

Andy Walker