Sam Ward, Leicester Socialist Party
Activists from across the workers’ movement in Leicester acted in defiance on 17 May, following Leicester Labour council’s imposition of a Public Space Protection Order that would stop campaigners using a stall table in the city centre. It comes with the threat of a £100 on-the-spot fine.
On the day, dozens of campaigners took part. We were not met with any street wardens. On the contrary to the council’s assessment that we are “causing a nuisance”, we were not met with any resistance to our ideas. Working-class people in Leicester stopped by our stall to discuss the recent consultations on closures to libraries and leisure centres all around the city.
On hearing of the threatened fining regime, Leicester Socialist Party arranged a meeting with other groups to discuss a strategy. Our proposal for a ‘mass stall’ ahead of a trades council public meeting already arranged for the afternoon of 17 May was agreed, as was the idea for a joint letter to the city mayor and press, from trade unions, campaign groups, and political parties.
50 attended the trades council’s public meeting against council cuts. A National Education Union member spoke of how the school they work at cannot afford glue sticks. One attendee spoke of cuts to higher education which could lead to a new round of mass redundancies. Another spoke of the ongoing threat of NHS privatisation. A trade unionist spoke of their anger towards the Labour Party and called for those trade unions that are still affiliated to it, to disaffiliate and ensure members’ money is not going towards a party which is carrying out these attacks.
The meeting agreed to relaunch ‘Leicestershire Against the Cuts’, to which trade union branches, campaign groups and political parties can affiliate, and to establish a steering committee. Socialist Party members raised how this could be linked to the process of the working class fighting to establish its own mass party. Increasingly, others are beginning to echo the demand for a new party. We made the case for the direct involvement of the working class through the trade unions.
We have avoided fines for now. If Leicester City Council succeeds in its ban, others may follow suit. We will pursue all avenues to defeat the ban and fight back against the cuts.
