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From The Socialist newspaper, 12 October 2016
Bradford day centre campaigners meet to fight closure
Photo Chris Marchant (Creative Commons) (Click to enlarge)
Iain Dalton, Socialist Party West Yorkshire organiser
"This is about the council trying to move the poor out of the city centre to create an image of prosperity and recovery in Bradford. But it's an illusion, the council are trying to make us believe that poverty doesn't exist here".
This summed up the perception of Bradford Council's decision to cut funding to the Edmund Street Day Centre at a public meeting of 25 people on 6 October.
The 'Save Edmund Street Day Centre' campaign has been initiated recently by Bradford Socialist Party members, receiving significant coverage in local print and radio media.
The meeting was attended by service users, people involved in the voluntary and community sectors as well as anti-cuts activists.
Disgracefully, despite being invited, not one of the councillors for the ward that the service is based in turned up to the meeting, to the anger of numerous service users.
Peter Robson, Bradford Socialist Party branch secretary, opened up the meeting, putting the closure of the day centre in the context of Bradford Council passing on the Tory austerity agenda to the people of the city.
Ron, a service user, explained the worries many have that the facilities to be offered at the Salvation Army centre will be able to provide.
He also pointed out that the Salvation Army is a mile and a half away up a steep hill from Edmund Street, and that service users have worries regarding the Salvation Army's attitude to the LGBT community.
A campaign planning meeting will take place this week and we will lobby the upcoming council meeting on the 18 October.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
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In The Socialist 12 October 2016:
Housing crisis
Butterfields victory: housing crisis can be beaten
Tories’ £5bn for housing not enough
What we think
Tories whip up division over Brexit...fight for a socialist, internationalist exit
Where next for the BMA junior doctors' dispute
Socialist Party news and analysis
Suicidal phone calls: fight to reverse tax credit cuts
Black History Month
Malcolm X: hero of black liberation
Socialist Party workplace news
Union library campaign strikes blow against Bromley Tories
Bin workers' strike - "about more than just pay"
Ritzy strikers walk-out and rally
International socialist news and analysis
Poland: Mass movement stops total ban on abortion
South Africa: The battle for free education
Shimon Peres - a wolf in sheep's clothing
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Lambeth working class demo against cuts and gentrification
Appeal: Don't let the banks wreck our finances!
Momentum should show Blairites the door, not Socialist Party members!
Lobby to keep vital day centre funding
Bradford day centre campaigners meet to fight closure
Fight to save care homes in Carlisle
Cable Street 80th anniversary demo
Health and social care attacks
Attack on young people's health and social care: urgent fightback needed
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