The Guardian view on Birmingham’s bin strikes: a wake-up call for Labour | Editorial

IIn the nineties of the nineteenth century, an American journalist described Birmingham visitor as ” The best city In the world. ”One time inspired by the spirit of reform, Joseph Chamberlain, the second city of England has become a presentation of a new type of municipal government. Presentation of schools, libraries and public baths, and politicians had a proactive responsibility for the health and welfare of the local population.

The preachers of what was then known as the “Civil Gospel” were high on the ground these days. Birmingham is currently a word mired for a political function Rejection It started last month. Despite the pressure of Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rainer, who sat with the union’s representatives last week, the City Council in the Union and the Birmingham City Council was in full confrontation for about six weeks. The influence was especially ugly at Polest The regions, where residents cannot afford the costs of removing commercial waste.

Desperate to register some political points after months of the faded leadership by Kimi Badnoush, the Conservative Party and the right -wing media, they take a drama out of a crisis. Handsworth visit, Fellow/Competition of the Council of Ministers to Mrs. Badenoch Robert Jenrik filming Rising garbage as a symptom of national distress. GB News Firing A campaign “To stop the garbage Britain”. The truth is somewhat less horrific, and more specific to a city that endured an ideal storm than mismanagement.

The direct cause of the strike is an attempt by consultants to reduce the costs of the BIN service by reducing the number of workers – in some cases – their salary rates. but Assets The chaos is due to the failure of a new expensive software system by the council, and the settlement of equal landmarks, which left it responsible for the payments, which total hundreds of millions of pounds. After announcing its effectiveness Bankruptcy In 2023, the advisers significantly raised the council tax while lowering services to the bones.

Consequently, 1.1 million population or so in the largest unified authority in the UK receive the most raw deals. The government has Urging It united to accept the presentation of the last council that aims to end the conflict, which includes a commitment to republishing and the voluntary repetition plan. But the main workers paid should not be required to pay the price of a financial crisis that is not made. The Unit’s proposal that the huge city council debts must be restructured – allowing at least a softer version of austerity to move forward – would provide a better solution if Westminster is ready to listen.

On a wider scale, although Birmingham’s predicament is partially, the work will be wise to get some broader lessons. Throughout England, Savage, Governor Discounts During 2010, the local government left unexpected and ignored harshly. The autumn budget of Rachel Reeves provided a very limited temporary reduction, but the local government association has Propagate A financing gap of 8.4 billion pounds by 2028-29. The turning point in Birmingham arrived in 2023. Without a realistic realistic financing settlement in the medium term, the bleak scenes that play in its streets this spring may be repeated elsewhere. After placing itself as a committed government above all with “delivery”, the Labor Party cannot let it happen.

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