Greens slam ‘disgraceful’ Labour cuts in Lambeth

Lambeth Green Party has slammed “disgraceful” Labour austerity. And it’s going to mobilise members for a UNISON-backed protest outside the council’s budget-setting meeting at 6pm on 4 March.

The Greens added that, if they were to form an administration in May, they would put Lambeth at the centre of a network of “anti-cuts councils”, mobilising against central government austerity.

Labour- cuts, cuts, cuts

Changes to local government funding that Labour introduced this year have cut funding for Lambeth. And this has left the council with a budget shortfall projection of £130m by 2029.

Due to the government cuts and years of local financial mismanagement, the Lambeth Labour administration is looking to save £46.58m for the 2026/27 budget. And it’s proposing £100m in cuts by 2029/30.

While aiming to raise some cash from revenue-raising measures, the local administration will rely primarily on restructures and cuts to frontline services.

Lambeth’s own equalities impact assessment of the cuts has concluded that 24 of the 78 agreed savings will have ‘negative impacts’ on Lambeth residents. Labour has refused to publish this analysis.

The council has also put in a request for Exceptional Financial Support of £116m over three years from central government.

This Exceptional Financial Support comes on top of £40m of support received last year to balance the housing revenue account. It isn’t a grant and Lambeth council will need to pay it back through the sale of more public assets.

Greens fighting back against Austerity

Scott Ainslie, Green Party councillor for Streatham St Leonard’s ward, said:

Lambeth Greens have been proud to stand alongside our community, and local unions, to fight against cuts for the past 16 years. On 4 March, we will join the protests outside the town hall.

By many measures, the cuts being we’re facing now are worse than they were under the Tories. These cuts have been made even worse by the years of financial mismanagement by the local Labour administration. That means more jobs lost, more services cut back, residents let down and vulnerable people left to fend for themselves.

Lambeth Labour have finally run out of people to blame. This is Labour austerity, at every level. Austerity is a political choice – we need to make different choices.

Nicole Griffiths, Green Party councillor for Streatham St Leonard’s ward, said:

There is no public support for this agenda of endless cuts – and there is a clear alternative: tax the super rich and big business, and invest in our communities.

On 4 March, we will again be tabling amendments to Labour’s budget. But Lambeth Labour can simply vote them down, and they barely scratch the surface of the disgraceful austerity being imposed by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.

We need a political earthquake – and that begins on 7 May when Lambeth can elect its first Green administration. In office, the Greens will put Lambeth at the heart of a nationwide network of anti-cuts councils, mobilising and empowering communities to fight austerity.

Featured image via the Canary