I was talking to a local resident the other day and he said to me, in reference to his family’s situation, ‘it isn’t fair’. Now I’ve always had issues with the use of the word ‘fairness’ in politics and society … What’s fair for one isn’t fair for another. It also sounds a bit like whinging, doesn’t it? But on this occasion I looked at this decent, honourable man who simply wanted to provide for his family and I agreed – it isn’t fair.

Let’s start with some facts and figures. Local authorities are bearing a disproportionate amount of these cuts – one-third of the total of local authority budgets will have disappeared by 2015 but with huge inequalities in the financial settlement to councils.11.3 per cent of Liverpool’s budget has been cut, equating to a sum of £252 per resident. Compare and contrast that figure to the 0.6 per cent cut ‘suffered’ by Richmond upon Thames. Similar comparisons can be made all over the country – Hackney residents face cuts over £260 per person; those in Dorset of just £2.60 per person.

We must be very clear – the evidence shows that this government’s austerity drive is an ideological attack on Labour communities, forcing them to bear the brunt of the cuts and to bear the burden of failing economic policies. This government says that this is ‘fair’ on the grounds that councils like ours get more money than those in the Tory heartlands. I do not recognise this definition of ‘fair.’ I believe that at the cornerstone of public service is need and that people should receive services according to need.

We find ourselves asking: is this government deliberately trying to disempower Labour support through destitution? Knowing that the poorer you are the less you feel empowered and thus your civic participation goes through the floor and you don’t vote?  Or do they just not care?

I don’t and I can’t understand a political ideology that is so unfair it borders on cruelty. The practical implications, it seems, are to drive ordinary people back to the days of the Victorian workhouse. And if you think this is an exaggeration – consider what we are seeing in Kirklees – 18 per cent of our young people living in poverty and this is forecast to rise, a 21 per cent increase in visits to the Welcome Centre Food Bank in Huddersfield. What happens when social housing is basically full and benefits won’t cover the cost of private rental – where will people go? As the ever more vicious cuts start to bite further, the struggle for survival will become harder. Human misery and frustration will increase the tide of debt and despair will continue to rise.

In the midst of the terrible damage that this government is wreaking on society, we must also ask ourselves, ‘What will happen if we do nothing?’ It is not good enough, nor is it the way of the Labour movement, to simply say nothing can be done. We know that our services are diminishing. We are all facing impossible decisions about what we must keep and what we must do without.

But this battle must now go further – this is about rewriting the rationale of local government, to show that we, Labour-led councils, can build up enough trust with our communities to show that we are the party to deliver positive change for them.

It is for us to ensure that our residents are not categorised as ‘strivers’ or ‘shirkers,’ with whole swaths of the population condemned to social and economic isolation, unable to play a meaningful role in the broader community. We must tell the stories of what is happening to good and decent people and why they are saying it’s not fair.

We must nurture people from business, education, faith and voluntary organisations, from all walks of life who believe in a fairer, more inclusive society. It doesn’t matter who does what or where it is done. What matters is that we share the same values and believe in public service. We know we can no longer provide all services to all people but we can redefine our brand of local government to be everyone’s champion, to advocate on everyone’s behalf to provide the opportunities for our communities to flourish. We must strive for a community where the degree of inequality is tiny and for all the benefits that real social equality can bring.

This is our challenge and our way forward for Labour-led local government. To strive for fairness that everyone recognises.

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Mehboob Khan is leader of Kirklees council. He tweets @CllrMehboobKhan

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Photo: Dom Stocqueler