20.04.1995

Medway’s dead council

GILLINGHAM Liberal Democrats have called for a referendum on whether the Medway Towns should be merged into a single unitary council. They oppose the plan, as did the government reorganisation review. However environment secretary John Gummer is intent on ordering a second review because the first did not reach the conclusion he desired.

It will be interesting to see if the referendum will take place only in Gillingham, where the Liberal Democrats have a majority, or if Rochester will be offered a vote too. Perhaps the rest of Kent should have the right to a vote on the Medway’s right to self determination.

Local government union Unison will support a no vote to a unitary authority because it correctly deduces that the main reason for the reorganisation is to slash local government services and sack staff by the thousand. Rochester Labour group has no such qualms. The working class is of no concern to them.

Unitary authority or not, local government in reality just administers local affairs on behalf of central government. The only use a seat on the council has is as a platform to expose what is happening and to support working class action to defend our interests in the area.

While Unison is right in exposing the use to which local reorganisation will be put, members need to be aware that Kent County Council can not be relied on to protect jobs and services. Only the power of the class can force the government to back down on that.

Phil Railston