Carlisle protest: “Bairns before bankers”

Socialist Party members were prominent in the recent lobby of Carlisle city council over budget cuts. The Labour-run authority intends to effectively close 21 children’s playgrounds as part of its austerity cuts. Anti-cuts campaigners held up placards with the slogan: “Bairns before bankers”.

The cost saving of this measure is comparatively small prompting the suspicion that it represents a prelude to future sell-offs.

The failure of the Labour councillors to offer any resistance to government cuts has, ironically, allowed a Tory councillor in one ward to portray his party as ‘anti-cuts’.

The BBC and ITV media covered the protest but attempted to ignore the presence of Socialist Party members.

However, the Socialist Party won’t be sidelined at next week’s budget setting meeting of Cumbria County Council when we will be addressing councillors along with presenting our petition demanding a ‘needs’ budget instead of cuts.

Socialist Party reporters