Mansfield Socialist Party anti-cuts protest, with Jon Dale on megaphone, photo Sulleyman Civi (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
Around 150 people gathered in Mansfield Market Place to show their opposition to Nottinghamshire County Council axing £28.7 million from its budget this year and cutting several hundred jobs.
Karen Seymour, Mansfield and North Derbyshire Socialist Party
The protest was organised by Socialist Party members after they met with members of a relatives’ and residents’ action group who are campaigning to stop the privatisation of Bishop’s Court elderly persons’ home. The rally call was the page one story in a local free newspaper.
At the rally I spoke first, saying how it was unfair that the banks were bailed out with billions of pounds of public money, while public services that people rely on suffer as a result.
Sylvia, a service user from Dallas Street day centre, had made her own placard which urged Kay Cutts, the Tory leader of the council, not to close this valuable resource for disabled people. Sylvia spoke on why the centre should not be closed.
Nottinghamshire County Unison branch had emailed their members urging them to attend the protest and Grace Perry, a convenor, spoke. Others speakers included Unison’s regional officer, the leader of the Labour group on Notts County Council and other Labour councillors, Unison and GMB council workers and members of the Bishop’s Court action group.
Labour hypocrisy?
Mansfield Socialist Party anti-cuts protest, with Jon Dale on megaphone, photo Sulleyman Civi (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
Labour Party speakers attacked Kay Cutts and the Tories, however Jean Thorpe, chairing the rally, pointed out that Labour-controlled Nottingham City Council was carrying out massive cuts too.
Adrian Rygal spoke about the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, urging people to attend the Barking protest for jobs on 13 March.
Jon Dale from the Socialist Party closed the rally by saying that the Labour government was already cutting local government money from April by £600 million. The campaign needs to bring together trade unions, service users and others planning action across the county. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) will give workers – in areas where it stands – an electoral alternative to the cuts agenda of all the main parties.
