As I'm one of people opposing the sell off of the adventure playground in Lambeth the picture is more complicated than a Labour Council dealing with cuts.
Lambeth Labour is controlled by the Progress wing of the Labour party. Going back to the days of Blair. As I'm sure
ViolentPanda can explain they are hostile to traditional Council housing.
There view is that state provision is part of the post war Welfare State that leads to "dependency". That services should be offloaded to public/private partnerships and social enterprises. Local government should change from a provider to an enabler.
They see this as return of the Labour party to being about self help not asking for handouts. The "Co-op Council" they call it.
If this sounds like Cameron's Big Society it's about the same.
A Progess led Labour Party would still be pursuing "austerity" , which as
ViolentPanda has pointed out is ideological choice.
So what I'm saying is that Lambeth Labour run Council would be pursuing this agenda whatever government is in power.
On the adventure playground we now know a charity with experience of running adventure playgrounds had approached the Council to run it. The Council turned them down. They see doing deals with developers as the way forward. Public/private partnerships.
Lambeth Labour Progress/ Blairites loathe Corbyn. There choice for leader was Liz Kendal.