June 27, 1987.		INDEX
Rates protests bring rewards Councillor quits as campaigners stage demo BY EXPRESS REPORTER IT'S been a mixture of good news and bad for members of the Waltham Forest Ratepayers Action Group as their campaign against the staggering 62% rates increase gathers momentum. The good news is that Cllr Richard Slack, a former planning chairman announced he was resigning from the controlling Labour Group in protest at the increase. His announcement came as up to 5,000 demonstrators gathered outside Waltham Forest Town Hall last week. The bad news is that a High Court Judge agreed to an application to have the 31 Labour councillors discharged from the action, due to be heard on July 30. Nevertheless, the action group are in good spirits and have so far-raised more that £300,000 towards their campaign. Protestors sang outside the town hall on Thursday and demanded the resignation of Council Leader Neil Gerrard. With the election defeat of Eric Deakins, obviously influenced by the rates row, the Ratepayers: Action Group have every reason to feel that the battle is going their way.
NOTE: The figure £300,000 appears to be an error, since even at the end of the campaign WFRAG only had about £100,000. Perhaps it should be £30,000?

Waltham Forest Express June 27, 1987

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