Leftward, Ho: The 1983 Budget

Abstract

Local elections in May 1982 delivered firm control of the council to a Left-dominated Labour Party with a manifesto bearing all the marks of the ‘local socialism’ of the day (see Boddy and Fudge 1984; Gyford 1985; Lansley, Goss and Wolmar 1989). Race, women’s issues, antipoverty, decentralization of services — matters such as these were now firmly on the council’s agenda. The manifesto also gave some important financial commitments: to protect jobs and services, to restore some of the cuts of the previous administration, and not to raise rents before 1984/85. That last promise naturally catches the eye in the light of the Solicitor’s advice less than three months earlier that making no rent increase for 1982/83 would be ‘almost certain to be held unlawful’ and give rise to ‘a likelihood of surcharge’. We will return to it later.