William Jarrett, North Tyneside Socialist Party
On the afternoon of 15 June, around 25 people again marched through North Shields town centre to save a much-loved and important pedestrian bridge.
It was greeted with the same wide support which has underpinned the campaign, with the active participation of our local Socialist Party from the start.
Sadly the official campaign didn’t publicise the march, on the basis its leaders felt it may not be well attended. This perplexed us as the first such event attracted 70 people.
We have explained that in order for the campaign to succeed it must be bold and political in nature, calling into question the Labour council’s austerity rampage.
Unfortunately, Labour Party members in official positions on the Tyne and Wear Public Transport Users Group have tried to rely instead on personal relationships with senior council figures.
Demands
Following the rally at the bridge a resident approached our members, purchased a copy of the Socialist, and asked to place a placard in his window.
He said his kids love the bridge and that he sees people using it at all hours of the day.
Our demands are resonating with those who want infrastructure and services to remain intact and improve – as North Shields enjoys a surge in popularity among developers and speculators who appear to be closely associated with council figures.