The Socialist 24 February 2010

NHS: not safe in their hands!

NHS: Not safe in their hands!

Private 'vultures' to run NHS hospital

How to stop cuts and defend public services

Demo opposes £29m Notts county cuts

Young people deserve a future: Join the Manchester march for jobs on 13 March

Youth Fight for Jobs Demonstrations

RMT branch supports challenge to Denham

Support the TUSC election challenge

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition General Election launch rally

British Airways cabin crew v management: Round two

Anger on Teesside over Corus closure

ID cards - an expensive threat to civil liberties

Tories attack community café...

Yarl's Wood hunger strike

Fast news

The Eton co-op won't work

Nominate Roger Bannister: Unison's leadership battle

Unison witch-hunt continues

South Wales: Demo against council cuts

Staythorpe: the fight for workplace safety

Port workers battle bosses... and high court

Jobcentre staff fight cuts

Leeds university: Support lecturers striking to save jobs

Fighting leadership needed for UCU

CWU women vote for political review

CWI Latin America school: A continent on the brink

Iraq: All eyes on the oil prize

Campaigning rights victory: But questions remain on new Waltham Forest policy

How can the racist BNP be defeated?

Scottish Defence League defeated: Working class political alternative urgently needed

Previous issues, etc

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Demo opposes £29m Notts county cuts

Mansfield Socialist Party anti-cuts protest, with Jon Dale on megaphone, photo Sulleyman Civi (Click to enlarge)

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)

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.

In this issue

NHS: Not safe in their hands!