Who 'agrees with Nick' now?

A SIX-foot high security fence. A special unit of 1,000 police. Late night court sittings. Sounds like the West Bank? No, welcome to the Lib Dems' spring conference in Sheffield on 11-13 March!

Alistair Tice, Sheffield

At a cost of up to £2 million a 'ring of steel' will be thrown around the City Hall to protect the Lib Dems from the anger of Sheffield folk who feel betrayed by Sheffield Hallam MP and deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.

Clegg says: 'I am proud that I can play a small role in getting people to come to Sheffield.' Yes Nick, there will be thousands of protesters coming to demonstrate against your lies and sell-outs! You broke your election pledges on tuition fees, on the VAT rise, and on spending cuts, and you put the Tories, who decimated Sheffield in the 1980s, in power.

Sheffield's Lib Dem council will propose £80 million council cuts for this year at the budget setting meeting on 4 March.

Sheffield Labour councillors have protested against the Lib Dem cuts. But they could have stopped them. Since a Lib Dem councillor defected in the autumn, Labour and the two Greens could outvote the Lib Dems.

Instead they say: "We will act as a responsible opposition in the best interests of local people and our budget will protect the most vulnerable people in our City to the best of our ability." Sounds like cuts just the same.

We must mobilise to bring the coalition down and we can start building a real alternative by supporting trade unionist and socialist anti-cuts candidates in the local elections in May.

Join the protests at the Lib Dem spring conference:

Friday 11 March, 4.30pm at the Town Hall

Saturday 12 March, assemble 11am at Devonshire Green to march on City Hall.

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Finance appeal

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.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.