Anti-cuts march in Manchester: more than 30,000 attend

Article (with video)

This is a rapidly-moving situation, but it appears at least some intend to make it the start of a long-term protest:

A rally is now under way at Number One First Street close to the conference centre.

About 200 protesters from the anti-cuts group Occupy have broken away from the main march and have positioned themselves in Albert Square, where they said they intended to stage a sit-in, according to their fly posters and social-networking site postings.

GMP said that some people had covered their faces and would be asked to remove hoods and scarves...

Manchester Central Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who is among those at the head of the march, said: "People here are angry, but many are frightened.

"This government is slashing billions and billions from our public services.

"Even top Tories are calling on George Osborne to go for a proper Plan B and go for growth."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, who is also taking part, said: "We all know the cuts are hurting, but they're not working and you can't cut your way out of a recession.

"If you clawed all the tax back that has been evaded and avoided and you put in a Robin Hood tax, we'd raise a very, very, large amount of money."

(source as above)

I believe austerity measures are necessary due to the fact the coffers are empty, but it doesn't seem right that those who have been hardest hit by the situation in the global economy are being expected to pick up the tab for the mistakes / greed of the investment banks, so the protesters have my respect. Particularly in the light of the following:

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins tweeted on the GMP Twitter feed: "Organisers of the demo have made it clear that they want a peaceful protest..."

I suppose things might only turn ugly if the government were to completely ignore the weight of the voices being raised in protest. And the signs aren't good:

Chancellor George Osborne said from inside the conference: "It's your democratic right to march, but in the end marching is not going to move on this economy...

Had the news on for a few hours now which has been covering this issue. Glad hear to hear the protesters were very loud when they were reporting outside the conference.

Things are going great for this country. I know this because we have an empathetic government in power that understands that hard working families are worried about how the bills are going to get paid. They understand that we might not be able to heat our homes, afford fresh healthy food or go on holiday. They know that alot of people are having to think twice about taking the car out due to the soaring costs of petrol.
I for one feel that we are very lucky to have a government by the rich, for the rich, that understand poverty from a textbook point of view - thankfully never having to actually experience it due to the system propping up the ruling class for how many hundreds of years?

But i think the people need to shut up and do as they are told.
Yes, we could stop spending billions on a "war" that doesn't serve any purpose whatsoever.
Yes, we COULD regulate banks and not bail them out for making stupid investments and giving them money to pay themselves bonus's for doing such a great job for the rest of us.
Yes, we could cut MP's annual salaries and also cap their expense's.
Yes, we could also cut foreign aids saving us a few billion.
Yes, we could leave the EU and manage our country much better, for a start by reducing the amount of money spent on each prisoner from £14 per head, to...Whatever 4 walls and a loaf of bread costs per day.
Yes, we could cut the amount of money tax payers pay to keep the royal family - And their extended, extended and extended bloodlines. Im sure they can hold their own for a while.

But instead we need to start where it matters - With the poor and the working class.

You see, benefit thieves are what's brought this country down. Your refusal to work for a minimum wage that cant even put a roof over your head or promise you 7 proper meals a week is exactly why this country is the way it is.
Not to mention, those are working 40 hours a week are often told that they dont work hard enough but they cant complain because that glorious iron fisted Thatcher that did so much for this great nation got rid of the unions (thankfully) Workers dont need rights or even a say in the work place, they need to shut up and put up because thats what you get paid for.
Not to mention, the last government, labour *snickering* CLEARLY messed EVERYTHING up. I mean, Come on, they didnt privatise the NHS, whats all that about?? They didnt wanna put a cost on good health? They're crazy! That gordon brown guy is clearly an idiot anyway! so what if he "presided over the longest ever period of growth" That means nothing!
As far as im concerned these Private school kids have got a plan thats gonna lift everyone out of the Sh!t! If we just pull together then we are ALL going to be okay!
Now, lets all shut up and put our blind trust in a chancellor that majored in history and doesn't have a clue about economics.

I have faith that him and his Eton buddies will sort it out, right after they save their own asses of course.


^^ The next david cameron speech.

Clearly, leading by example of "All in it together"

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


I take it you did not vote for the present government. (From experience, not everyone will have picked up the irony dripping from your post.)

Point taken: a lot of 'working people' (as they say nowadays, trying to avoid the class word) are aggrieved when they see the banks being bailed out while their job security has gone & the cost of living has rocketed, etc.

But is it really helpful to think in terms of class wars / toffs v workers, etc.? Is it not time to move forward into an age where people of all backgrounds encourage progressive policies, no matter which party they come from? Surely the only sensible way forward in the current mess is negotiation, and a willingness to compromise - for the common good?


I'll just bring up one other issue:

That gordon brown guy is clearly an idiot anyway! so what if he "presided over the longest ever period of growth" That means nothing!

Not everyone believes that was something he should be proud of: at the time many were warning him he was creating a (debt-based) economic bubble - just as the Conservatives did in the 80s - but he just went on claiming the 'boom & bust cycle' had been overcome once for all by his 'prudent' management of the economy.

Originally posted by pause4thought
reply to post by SearchLightsInc

 

I take it you did not vote for the present government. (From experience, not everyone will have picked up the irony dripping from your post.)

Point taken: a lot of 'working people' (as they say nowadays, trying to avoid the class word) are aggrieved when they see the banks being bailed out while their job security has gone & the cost of living has rocketed, etc.

But is it really helpful to think in terms of class wars / toffs v workers, etc.? Is it not time to move forward into an age where people of all backgrounds encourage progressive policies, no matter which party they come from? Surely the only sensible way forward in the current mess is negotiation, and a willingness to compromise - for the common good?

I suppose knocking up uni fee's to 9k a year is a progressive policy to help end the class war? Not to mention, the cut in availability of higher education (A-levels and colleges) Just like to add that Clegg completely sold out. I dont think he realise's that having your foot in the door doesnt give you enough power and money so that your kids can get sent to Eton and actually survive that type of society.
The overhaul of the NHS, which will most likely see sectors of it privatized by the time the CONs get evicted from downing street. I would bet that most MP's have private health insurance anyway so however they strip the NHS bare it makes no difference to them - They dont have to use it and dont really care if it doesn't effect them.

I mean, they talk about compromise, negotiation and a willingness to "hold on" but all i can see is them cutting money from the wrong places (Mainly from the working class and benefit scroungers) while they still pay themselves a ridiculous amount and continue to waste billions on a war and other crap.

Tell me, do you agree with how they're running the show?

I'll just bring up one other issue:

That gordon brown guy is clearly an idiot anyway! so what if he "presided over the longest ever period of growth" That means nothing!

Not everyone believes that was something he should be proud of: at the time many were warning him he was creating a (debt-based) economic bubble - just as the Conservatives did in the 80s - but he just went on claiming the 'boom & bust cycle' had been overcome once for all by his 'prudent' management of the economy.

I'll give you that. I still think he's more qualified then osborne though.

A sensible non emotional proper political discussion - Whatever next? I wish our politicians could do that! I'd give you both a flag if I could!

The issue it seems to me is not one of class and which party's in power, I think it would be much the same regardless. The reason for this is that the banks and markets are the one's with real power. The Government is running scared of upsetting them, the first thing the Tories did was to 'act tough' on the economy to reassure the markets that Britain can cope with the deficit. Whether that means they made the best economic decisions remains to be seen.

Incidentally, Labour introduced student fees, promised not to raise them and then doubled them. The Tories then came along and compounded the issue!

Originally posted by Insomniac

Incidentally, Labour introduced student fees, promised not to raise them and then doubled them. The Tories then came along and compounded the issue!

Haha, all in it together! Star for you my friend.