Reasons to be Cheerful #42 – Wirral Libraries Saved

As a consequence of moving across the country I’ve had to remove myself from a number of mailing lists in Merseyside, but happily I hadn’t left all of them, because it meant I got to hear some excellent news yesterday. Councillors on the Wirral have done a major about face and reversed plans to close a swathe of local libraries. This issue has dominated politics on the peninsula since last December, and deserves to have had far greater national coverage. Essentially the plan was to close down 13 local libraries, as well as several community centres and swimming baths. The Wirral is a large area with several spread out communities, and these local libraries formed vital community resources. The proposals would have lead to people having to take two or three buses to get to their ‘local’ library.

One of many Town Hall lobbies

This was possibly the least popular single local government proposal in history. The outrage across the Wirral was genuinely extraordinary. For about two months the council couldn’t meet without mass lobbies of hundreds of people, a series of ‘consultations’ took place, each one packed to the rafters uniformly saying no, and a significant trade union demonstration marched from Wallasey to Birkenhead. Local action groups were set up at many local libraries. Quite quickly concessions were made, the most popular local facilities were declared safe, in an attempt to divide and buy off some of the separate campaign groups, but the Lib Dem Labour Coalition remained firm in its suicide pact to close most of the libraries.

Cut to yesterday. In a move hilariously described by Council Leader Steve Foulkes as result of “decisive leadership” (rather than ‘shitting ourselves about the election’ or even ‘responding to the wishes of ordinary people’) the plans have been scrapped. No libraries are closing. There are many important things to say about this, but I will focus on a few. Firstly it confirms some of the things Reuben was saying about consultation. Despite a weeks worth of mass consultation, with the participation of literally thousands, the decision was still initially pressed ahead with. Genuine democracy would have scrapped it, no question.

The second point is the legacy. This victory has to be shown as a victory for (for want of a better word) people power. The Tories, in opposition, will definitely try to claim it as their own, and this has to be rejected. As Elaine Jones from Wirral Trades Council rightly says:

“The Tories are claiming this victory was down to them – well it wasn’t. It was down to those of us who organised mass meetings, leafleted estates, collected petitions, demanded an inquiry, told the councillors and MPs that we wouldn’t vote for them if they made cuts, organised demonstrations and lobbies and refused to go away.”

This should give confidence to the council workers, and people of the Wirral, that they don’t have to take cuts in their services lying down.

Finally, this has to be made more visible on the national scene. This victory, the Tower Hamlets workers, the courses at Liverpool University, and any other victories that reverse the logic of public sector cuts have to be spread far and wide. Whilst these have often dominated the local press, they have made little impact nationally, where the discourse is still one of belt-tightening and cuts. Events like this have the capacity to shatter that cosy consensus.