UK Newswire Archive
Royal Parks Deer Shoot Update
08-11-2010 00:57
Activists have continued their presence at the Royal Parks in connection with the ongoing deer shoot in the areas.Body-scan Alert - Not Suffering Indignities at Airports By Zahir Ebrahim
07-11-2010 23:27
Unite Against Fascism Demonstration, London, 6th November 2010
07-11-2010 23:12
Despite the BNP's defeat in Barking and Dagenham, the fascists have not gone away. The rise of the English Defence League is a concern for everyone. Short film of the Unite Against Fascism London demo. Interviews with trade unionists before the march set off. Interview with striking NUJ members as the march passed BBC Somerset House. Finish on the rally. George Galloway and Martin Smith speak.Moving Building Meeting London 11 Dec
07-11-2010 22:57
Liberation: Beyond ResistanceBuilding a People's Assemblies Movement
Saturday 11th December 1-5pm
Birkbeck College
Second Shut-Down of Vodafone Store in Birmingham
07-11-2010 21:08
Student protesters once again activated a shut-down of a Vodafone store in the city centre for a second time in stronger numbers, coinciding with People and Planet's annual gathering, Shared Planet at the University of Birmingham, which attracted more to join the demonstration.Successful Lancaster Anarchist Fair - my impressions of the day.
07-11-2010 20:01
IDS’ Same Old Deal on Benefit Reform Will Punish The Sick
07-11-2010 19:44
Baldyman must have had to think extra hard about his new ‘radical’ proposals for people on Jobseekers Allowance, aka the dole. It seems that he thought all the way back to 1997 when new Labour launched the New Deal (1), which including mandatory 30 hour a week activity for the long term unemployed.Notts Cuts Watch #4
07-11-2010 19:25
An (incomplete) overview of how the age of austerity has affected Notinghamshire over the last week or so. This is largely culled from various local media outlets, so apologies for some of the dodgy analysis.
BBC
Friday 5th November 2010, BBC staff joined the picket outside the BBC building here in Nottingham.
Journalists from across the BBC walked out at midnight in the first of two 48 hours strikes in protest at plans to devalue their pensions.
NUJ members at the BBC started taking part in strike action at 12.01am on Friday 5 November 2010 for the next 48 hours to stop the BBC Pensions Robbery.
NUJ Strike : members picket at BBC Nottingham, Nottingham Indymedia
Campaigning
On Saturday 6 November, Notts SOS held a protest outside the Vodafone store on Clumber Street to protest their disgust at the company being remiss in not paying £6Bn, owed to the Taxman.
Vodafone “not paying their taxes” Demo, Nottingham Indymedia
Direct action tax collection?, Nottingham Indymedia
Economy
1) ALMOST a third of households in Nottingham had no one in work last year, official figures show.
Nottingham, Liverpool and Glasgow topped the “workless” league table with more than three out of every 10 households having no one aged 16 and over in employment.
The study, by the Office of National Statistics, covering 2009, showed the national average was one in five households with no one in work, with North Notts among the areas closest to that figure.
However Nottingham City Council said the figures were “misleading” and claimed it would be 28th on the list if the survey compared “like with like.”
One third of city households out of work, new figures show, Nottingham Post
2) Nottingham is in the top ten again! Unfortunately for being the sixth town or city, worst hit by the recession. According to the Sun newspaper, Nottingham has 1254 empty shops or 23% of all shops.
Sixth worst hit in UK, Nottingham is Crap
Education
1) MORE than 60 children at Gedling School have protested against plans to close it.
The county council is proposing a phased closure of the 639-pupil school from 2012 onwards.
Pupils spent yesterday morning demonstrating outside the school in Arnold Road.
The protest continued until about 1.30pm when the pupils, all on a free day, held a meeting to discuss further campaigning, including how to get other secondary schools and feeder schools involved.
Pupils Chloe Wood and Chloe Lineker, both 12, organised the demonstration on Facebook.
Pupils protest against proposed closure of Gedling School, Nottingham Post
Parents express anger at plans to close Gedling School, Nottingham Post
Gedling School could close in 2012, Nottingham Post
2) PARENTS are furious that the fare on a bus taking their children to a Hucknall school has doubled — from 40p to 80p.
There has since been a big drop in the number of pupils at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Primary School who use the bus.
The vice-chairman of the governors at Holy Cross, Christa Bales, said: “Seventy children were travelling on the school bus but the number is now down to nine.
“The bus was formerly operated by Hucknall firm, Gospel Coaches, but Notts County Council has now given the contract to the Your Bus company, of Heanor.
A spokeswoman for the county council said the authority had combined the school run with the existing Your Bus number 228 bus service to get the best value for money.
Parents rage over shock hike in school bus fares, Hucknall Dispatch
3) Another 1,000 signatures are required on a petition calling for desperately-needed investment in Newark’s secondary schools.
So far just over 4,000 people have signed the Support Our Schools petition, boosted by 500 signatures collected in Newark Market Place on Saturday.
But campaigners want at least 5,000 in time for the visit of schools minister Lord Hill to the Magnus, Orchard and Grove schools in less than three weeks.
Plea for petition names, Newark Advertiser
Fire and Rescue Service
ONE in six fire engines in Notts could be taken off the road and firefighters laid off due to Government cuts.
The Government announced in its spending review that it would cut the fire service grant by 25 per cent over the next four years. The grant makes up about half of Notts Fire and Rescue Service’s income. The other half comes from precepts set in council tax.
Notts Fire and Rescue Service could be cut back by one sixth, Nottingham Post
Forestry Commission
Rumours that the Government was planning to help balance The Treasury’s books by selling off land managed by the Forestry Commission surfaced last week, although officials refused to confirm them.
But the Government has tabled the Public Bodies Bill in Parliament which will pave the way for ministers to transform the way forests are managed.
If passed, the bill would give the Government the power to abolish the Forestry Commission, merge it with other bodies, or pass its responsibilities to other organisations or individuals.
The commission runs 18 per cent of all woodland in the UK, including the 1,335-hectare Sherwood Pines Forest Park, the largest single tract of forest open to the public in the East Midlands.
Sherwood Forest Country Park, which includes a nature reserve and the world-famous Major Oak, will not be included in the Government’s plans as it is not managed by the Forestry Commission.
Ministers launch bid to sell off parts of Sherwood Forest, Nottingham Post
Health
MORE than 700 people have joined an online campaign calling for Stapleford Walk-in Centre to remain open.
Supporters of the centre say hundreds of people have signed up to a Facebook group called Save Stapleford Walk-in Centre.
A CONSULTATION about the future of two walk-in health centres in Notts has been launched.
NHS Notts County is giving people the chance to vote for one of four options to decide what should happen to Ashfield Health Village and Stapleford Care Centre.
Together the walk-in centres see around 37,000 patients a year at a cost of £1.3 million.
Patients have say on future of two Notts walk-in centres, Nottingham Post
Hundreds join campaign to save Stapleford Walk-In Centre, Nottingham Post
Housing
On Tuesday 2nd November, opponents of funding cuts to Framework organised a “flash mob” in the Market Square.
Framework “flash mob”, Nottingham Indymedia
Law
Campaigners have less than two months to save Newark Magistrates’ Court after it was revealed it is favoured for closure.
The chairman of the bench, Mrs Pam White, who is among those fighting to save the court, said the time-limit focused their minds.
She urged people, whether they had direct influence or not, to join the fight to save the magistrates’ court and Newark County Court, which handles family and care proceedings, small claims and private prosecutions.
A decision is due on December 14 with Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Goldring, who is reviewing courts in a bid to save £15.3m a year in running costs, favouring the closure of Newark, Worksop and Retford.
This would leave just Mansfield and Nottingham, with Newark cases heard in the city.
Townsfolk urged to fight for courts, Newark Advertiser
Leisure
A Nottinghamshire sports centre could close as part of £3.1m of council budget cuts.
Campaigners were already fighting to save the swimming pool at Meden Sports Centre in Warsop but the latest plan would shut the centre completely.
Mansfield District Council says the closure would save £135,000 per year.
New plan to close Warsop sports centre, BBC Nottingham
Notingham City Council
1) THREE community groups based at the Radford Unity Complex are hoping to buy the building from Nottingham City Council.
It would guarantee the future of all the groups which use the centre.
The council announced its plans to close the centre last December, which would save £400,000 over three years.
But earlier this year, the Nottingham Post revealed the council only gave resident groups three months notice to move out – instead of the necessary six months.
A prospective sale to arts group Nottingham Studios then fell through as the council tried to renegotiate terms to allow the community groups to stay until they could be relocated.
Three community groups hope to buy Radford Unity Complex, Nottingham Post
2) NOTTINGHAM City Council will not be sailing the “Team Nottingham” yacht at the world’s largest property fair in Cannes next year.
This year alone, the council forked out about £20,000 towards the yacht and expenses at the MIPIM fair, which it claims brings international investment to the city.
However, Councillor Jon Collins, leader of the council, said they “cannot afford it this year” due to less interest from the private sector.
In total, the trip costs in the region of £170,000, including the costs of hosting parties, hiring the yacht to hold meetings and dinners, accommodation, food and hospitality.
However, the private sector picked up most of this cost this year – leaving a bill of £20,000 for the council.
End of the journey for council’s Team Nottingham yacht,Nottingham Post
No More Powder Monkey, Nottingham City Council LOLS
Policing
1) NOTTS Police recruitment could be frozen for up to four years, losing up to 800 new recruits.
Police stations could also close, following the Government cuts revealed in the Spending Review last week.
The Government has said it is reducing police funding by 20% over the next four years. But Notts Police have not had their grants finalised yet.
Notts Police could freeze recruitment for four years – losing up to 800 new recruits, Nottingham Post
2) Jaki Lowe was an interim director of human resources working on a plan to shave £1.2m, or 17.5 per cent, from Notts Police’s spending on staff over the next three years.
Anonymous letters sent to Notts Police Authority and the Post expressed doubts over the need for her post, and claimed it was costing £1,000 a day.
In response to the letters, chairman of Notts Police Authority Councillor Jon Collins, requested another police force look into the allegations in the anonymous letters.
But Ms Lowe has now stepped down before the inquiry was completed.
‘£1,000 a day’ police consultant set to quit amid inquiry into role, Nottingham Post
Post
BROXTOWE MP Anna Soubry has been accused of misleading Parliament by a union, after she said only two Royal Mail workers in her constituency asked her to oppose the privatisation bill.
The Nottingham branch of the Communication Workers Union claim 150 workers at Beeston mail centre have written to Miss Soubry, urging her to fight the bill.
Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry accused of ‘misleading Parliament’ by postal union, Nottingham Post
Private sector
UP to 75 staff at the Ruddington branch of pharmaceutical firm Vectura are to be made redundant.
The company has announced it is to close the branch in Mere Way. A further 30 staff will be relocated to the firm’s two other sites in Chippenham and Cambridge.
The move follows a 90-day consultation about the plant’s future. It is not known when the plant will shut.
The Ruddington laboratories develop drugs for respiratory diseases.
The closure is part of a review of its research and development operations which aims to save £6m a year.
Up to 75 redundancies as Ruddington pharmaceutical plant shuts, Nottingham Post
Quangoes
MINISTERS have begun laying plans which will allow them to sell off £18 million worth of assets belonging to the East Midlands Development Agency.
Among those which may go up for sale are 13 sites in Nottingham and Notts – including Gedling Colliery, Cotgrave Colliery and the 91-acre environmentally-friendly business park Sherwood Energy Village.
Proposals released by the Government last week laid out how development agencies like emda would be wound down over the next few years.
The bodies set up to replace them, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), will not have any central Government funding in the way that emda does.
Now the Government has made it clear many of the assets which belonged to emda may be sold off and there is no “automatic presumption” that assets or the proceeds of their sales would be passed to local councils or to LEPs.
In fact, the Government’s White Paper identified “deficit reduction” as a key factor in any decisions, hinting that proceeds from the sale would be diverted to the Treasury.
£18m of East Midlands assets could be sold off as emda is replaced, Nottingham Post
Voluntary sector
‘DEVASTATING’ cuts to Citizens Advice Bureau funding could lead to a rise in homelessness in Retford, the service’s director has warned.
Bassetlaw Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) director Stephen Saddington spoke out against cuts to the service of 67 per cent proposed by Notts County Council.
The proposals, which are under consultation, would see county council Grant Aid for the service reduced from £300k to £100k in 2011/2012.
Mr Saddington said bureaux in Retford, Worksop and Bircotes would be forced to reduce hours if the cuts went ahead.
Citizen’s Advice Bureau cuts ‘could see rise in number of homeless people’, Retford Times
Virtual Anarchist Bookfair 2010: Videos & Audios
07-11-2010 19:22
The 28th edition of the Anarchist Bookfair has come and gone, and, as always, what an awesome event it was!, packed with thousands of people flicking through over a hundred stalls, attending a comprehensive program of meetings and talks, watching films & cabaret and generally catching up, networking, planning and plotting with others that “want to start making anarchism a threat again”.
This year, Indymedia London not only had a stall as it did in the previous years, but it also put it’s kit where its mouth is, and, together with Dissident Island, it kept busy producing direct and DIY media. So if you missed the Bookfair, or you did go but couldn’t attend all the talks and meetings you would have liked to, worry no more! IMC-London is proud – and happy – to present a collection of audios from several speaker’s interventions, as well as a series of specially recorded video interviews with a variety of individuals, groups and campaigns which we and Dissident Island recorded on site. Read on for the full list …
Audio from talks and meetings:
- Cameron’s Cuts. Paul Mason, Werner Bonefield and Endnotes debate: ‘Will Cameron’s Cuts lead to working-class defeat or to a new anti-capitalist movement?’
- John Pilger. A session discussing several current world issues.
- Michael Albert. Founder of Zcom and author of “Life After Capitalism” addressing key issues anti-capitalists face today.
- Their Crisis and Ours. A discussion about financial capitalism organised by Corporate Watch.
- Simon Chapman / Thessaloniki 4. Simon Chapman was arrested, beaten and tortured, and accused of throwing Molotov cocktails during an anti-capitalism protest in Greece in 2003. He talks about the hunger strike during his time detained and his long legal battle and appeals.
Video Interviews:
- Dr. Richard Barbrook. Does the word ‘Revolution’ have any meaning anymore? Is there any point to political writing? and was the last British election actually a coup d’état by the civil service?
- Interview with Fitwatch.. Due to evidence that the police forces have been gathering unprecedented amounts of intelligence on individuals at demonstrations and actions, Fitwatch offers a better understanding of how the police are gathering intelligence on us and how they are using it.
- Milan Rai, Peace News. He discusses the current stand-off between the West and Iran, the media manipulation of the news from Iran, and why we as anarchists and activists, have to support the democracy movement in Iran.
- Activist Trauma Support. If we want to be effective as a movement, and create sustainable activism, we need to be able to support each other. Trauma Support activists talk about their work.
- Counter/Mapping Queen Mary University. A group of students, staff and researchers at Queen Mary University have set out to map the ways in which migration, border technologies, surveillance and monetary flows intersect with the university as our place of work and study.
- Michael Albert. An incredibly inspiring interview with American activist, political theorist, and writer, Michael Albert on his ideas of Participatory Economics, ‘Parecon’.
- Anarchist cartoonist Donald Rooum. A discussion about his work with Freedom, Peace News and his Wildcat creation.
- Chat about Neurodiversity. With Paul & Luke on the subject of Neurodiversity and Anarchy and how neurodiversity can benefit the anarchist movement.
- Anarchist Bookfair Collective. Short Interview with member from the organising group of the Anarchist Bookfair, on this years event, the Bookfair’s future and its growing importance in the anarchist calendar.
- Marko, an anarchist from Croacia. A chat with a member of the anarchist collective Ispod Plocnika from Zagreb.
- John Pilger. An interview covering topics on his new film “The War You Don’t See”, and discussing news media on the internet and what effect the financial crisis will have on current imperialist wars and military adventures.
Booklets by Indymedia London and HacktionLab (PDF’s):
- Three essays by London Imcistas. Covering issues related to ‘social networking’, activist media, data security and the commodification of the internet.
- Their business and ours - Google is watching you. If you ask anyone on the street, “what business is Google in?”, they’ll answer without hesitation, “they are in the search business”, but Google is not a search company …
- How to: write a feature for Indymedia London. A comprehensive step-by-step tutorial on how to write good articles for the Indymedia London website.
- Tech tools for Activists. A guide on internet security and organisation tools for political activists.
Our Planet is Not your Experiment
07-11-2010 18:20
Grassroots activists have come together to oppose dangerous Geoengineering experiments proposed by scientists and OECD governments. Proposals include creating an artificial volcano effect to black out the sky or changing the oceans to increase plankton blooms.What Is The Matter With Stewart Brand?
07-11-2010 18:14
Well done Bristol Uni !!
07-11-2010 16:22
"these counterbalancing Browne proposals are clearly welcome news."Good to see Bristol University supporting the Browne proposals for higher tuition fees. Now Bristol Uni can concentrate on doing what it does best: that is providing a three year holiday/finishing school for supid rich kids who could not get into a real university (but whose parents can pay the fees, buy the flat in Clifton etc etc). Ok yah!!!
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2010/7298.html
A message from the Vice-Chancellor on the latest situation with regard to university funding.
On the 6 October I sent a message to all staff before the announcement of Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Within this I expressed my frustration about the lack of clarity in our sector in terms of its likely future financial standing. Over the last few weeks the position has started to become clearer. There is still much detail to be worked out, but we know some of the important basics.
The financial landscape has changed rapidly and so I thought it helpful to replay briefly the events of the last year.
First, in December 2009, the Labour Government announced over £1 billion of cuts to the public funding of universities. Shortly after the election, the Government announced further immediate cuts of around £200 million to the Higher Education budget – this encompassed a £118 million reduction in previously announced additional 'modernisation' funding, together with a £82 million reduction in existing funding. Then, in June, the Government announced an increase in VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent. This alone added an additional £1 million to £2 million per annum to our costs.
Following this, on 20 October, the Government unveiled its Comprehensive Spending Review. Significantly, it was announced that the overall budget for Higher Education, excluding research funding, would reduce from £7.1 billion to £4.2 billion, representing a 40 per cent reduction by 2014-15.
Within the Comprehensive Spending Review it was also announced that funding would continue for the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and that the research budget for science would be maintained in cash terms, meaning a ring fenced budget of £4.6 billion per year across the Spending Review period up to 2014-15.
Lastly, on 3 November, the Government announced its proposals for University funding, following the recommendations set out in Lord Browne’s review. As you are probably aware, the key points are, assuming that the proposals are approved by parliament, that universities will be able to charge up to £9,000 per year for undergraduate home and EU students and that any university wishing to charge above £6,000 will need to undertake specific measures to encourage students from poorer backgrounds. This could include bursaries, outreach programmes and summer schools. Within the proposals, the Government would continue to provide a student loan. The new income threshold for repayment of the loan would be £21,000; this is somewhat higher than the current threshold of £15,000.
These cuts have not fallen equally on the budgets within the sector and £3.2 billion will be cut from the £3.9 billion teaching budget – a fall of 82%. This represents an unprecedented level of cuts to teaching funding within our sector and will lead to no public funding of teaching in many subjects. It will be obvious to all that such cuts are unsustainable unless a new income stream was created and this is where the rise in fees counterbalances the cuts.
Many colleagues have contacted me to say that they consider this to be an unacceptable abrogation of the state’s role in the public funding of teaching in Higher Education. It was clear from the actions of the previous Labour Government and from the statements of this administration that cuts in public funding of this level were inevitable. Although both the Chairman of the Russell Group and the President of Universities UK and many others of us lobbied privately and stated in public their anxieties about the nature of the changes and the effects of Higher Education, we have not prevailed. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in the funding of teaching in universities from the state to the individual. To be balanced, other commentators would argue that substantial public funding continues – it is just that the state has given it to the student in the form of loans rather than directly to the universities.
Whatever people’s individual views, given the scale of the cuts to the funding of Higher Education I have highlighted above, these counterbalancing Browne proposals are clearly welcome news.
Turning to our own financial situation: much work has been done and continues in order to reduce our operating costs. The combination of our Academic and Support Process Reviews, along with the voluntary severance and early retirement schemes, are all contributing to ensuring we are in the best position to navigate this significantly challenging financial landscape.
It is clear that the world in which we operate is likely to be a markedly different one, based on the scale of change we have seen in under a year. Work is under way to establish Bristol’s position now that we have the majority of the facts before us and I, and senior colleagues across the University, are fully engaged in that process.
As I mentioned in my message in October, I, Derek Pretty and David Clarke will be arranging open meetings in all areas of the University to outline the way forward and its implications. These will be arranged through Deans with Heads of Schools and with Directors for support staff.
Meanwhile, it is important to remember the relative strength of our position due to our academic strengths and world-wide reputation, as well as the measures we have in place to control our costs. As I have said before, this University maintains its course, surviving challenges and taking strategic opportunities.
US charity bribing UK drug addicts to sterilise selves in eugenics agenda
07-11-2010 15:51
I originally published this on Bristol Indymedia but the charity is targeting those it terms as drug addicts in London, Glasgow, Bristol, Leicester and parts of Wales.KCC-private health at taxpayer expense
07-11-2010 14:12
Kent County Council bosses 'enjoy' private healthcare at the expense of taxpayers. Meanwhile social care for the elderly gets cuts
(Just how 'sick' can you get? Oh, now the jobless must be made serfs doing manual 'work' for free and taking jobs from street cleaners/gardeners/ etc etc...)
2nd Wave of anti-cuts Action against Vodafone in Glasgow
07-11-2010 13:22
At 10.30 today a group of around 15 activists congregated at St Enoch Square and then proceeded to the Argyle Street branch of Vodafone.
They entered the branch and announced that they were occupying the premises as a protest to the £6bn in tax that the company squirmed out of paying at a time when public services are being slashed to ribbons by the Coalition government.
Protest the cuts - Bath!
07-11-2010 13:22
Tues 16th Nov, Guildhall, Bath, %,30pmAs the Tory controlled BaNES council gathers to vote in their devastating program of cuts, we will be there to meet them.
What: Demo Against the Cuts!
When: Tues 16th Nov, 5.30pm
Where: Guildhall, Bath
Why: Because we won't pay for their crisis!
Join us on Tuesday the 16th for a demo against the Cuts in Bath, and to let the tory controlled council that we won't sit back and take these cuts while the poor get hit hardest, and the rich and their big business mates get richer and richer!
On the 16th, the council will vote on their devastating round of service and job cuts - we will be there to let them know that every cut will be resisted!
For more info- bathagainstcuts@yahoo.co.uk
China Japan boat collision over disputed Senkaku island. - VIDEO
07-11-2010 13:13
Brandishing imperialist "Rising Sun" flags, the demonstrators gathered at an open air concert hall in the centre of the capital, a chorus of Japan's national anthem serving as an opening ceremony. It was the latest in a series of demonstrations against Beijing's claim to a disputed island chain in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. There have also been several anti-Japan rallies in China.
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhum
Direct action tax collection?
07-11-2010 12:25
On Saturday 6 November, Notts SOS held a protest outside the Vodafone store on Clumber Street. Although the store was effectively closed even before campaigners arrived, this was far from an inspiring demonstration with the analysis leaving much to be desired.
Vodafone is potentially a useful propaganda focus for the anti-cuts campaign. At the same time as the government are making almost 500,000 people unemployed, slashing benefits and attacking welfare, they are allowing corporations like Vodafone to avoid paying billions of pounds in tax. It is clear demonstration of the fact that the cuts are neither "necessary" nor "fair."
Unfortunately, the local left appear to have confused an illustrative point (the government say we don't have any money, but are letting Vodafone and others dodge billions in tax) with a political demand (Vodafone should pay their tax). The result was a muddled, embarrassing spectacle.
"Vodafone, pay your tax!" is hardly a slogan to set the working class alight and indeed many of the passers-by (and this being Clumber Street, there were many) seemed bemused at best. At one point a Toryboy heckler reduced the protest almost literally to Pantomime ("Vodadfone owe their tax. Oh yes they do"). For me the low point was when one of the megaphone users began suggesting that the Vodafone board should meet on Monday and have as the first item on their agenda "why paying tax is important."
Listening to the speakers you got the impression that if only Vodafone paid the tax they owe (which, in an intriguing instance of lefty inflation, rose from £6bn, the figure estimated by Private Eye to be Vodafone's liability, to a baseless £7bn) the government wouldn't have to be cutting services as they are. Because they don't want really want to. The truth of course, is that this is exactly what they've wanted to do for years and the cuts constitute a deliberate policy to make the working class pay for the economic crisis caused by bankers.
As if to underline the limited ambition of the speakers, there was a bizarre focus on the cuts being made to the police and armed forces. Gone, it appears, are the demands that troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan and the money invested in social welfare. Ditto demands that the UK slash its defence spending and channel it into something useful.
The anti-cuts movement has real potential for growth as the cuts begin to bite, but if this is the best we have to offer to people dismissed from their jobs, denied welfare or evicted from their council house, then we shouldn't be surprised if they ignore us. I continue to hope that when things get going, popular anger will render the more ineffective sections of the movement irrelevant. Whether there is any real basis for this hope is another question entirely.
Students Arise – Anti-fees/cuts Actions Coming Up
07-11-2010 12:22
Will S Williams MP keep his pledge?Or will he prove to be another back-sliding MP, and like so many LibDem MP's utterly corrupted by power?
Now is the time for current and prospective higher education students to take to the streets. Resist. Strike. Occupy.
Anti Cuts Student writes: This is what Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West, pledged before the elections: “I hope you will be pleased to learn that it remains the policy of the Liberal Democrats to scrap tuition fees for all students undertaking their first undergraduate level degree. I believe it is right both in principle and in practice to scrap the tuition fee model of part-financing for higher education. In addition, I think it is only fair that part and full-time students should be treated equally, whatever the system, when studying for their first degree. The Liberal Democrats will therefore also abolish fees for part-time students studying for a first undergraduate level degree.” From http://www.stephenwilliams.org.uk/pages/fees.html
We don't think he will keep his pledge, will he prove us wrong? And if he wont keep his pledge, what shall we do with him?
National student anti-cuts demo 10 November in London – lets do it.
Possible days of action locally 23 & 24 November, focusing on occupations, 'lobbying' or lobbing MP's, outreach to the public, and encouraging high school students to join in to defend their futures.
National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts - http://anticuts.com/
Publicising resistance to the LibDemCon cuts - http://anticuts.org.uk/
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Students Arise – now is the time to kick back
Hot on the heels of French students demos and occupations, and with 40,000 Irish students on the streets of Dublin just a few days ago (http://anticuts.com/2010/11/03/mass-protest-40000-irish...blin/), now its time for UK students to get stuck in
Debate tonight at Uni of Bristol Student Union, 6.30 to 8pm, with Stephen Williams & Kerry McCarthy MP's, plus President of the NUS, on the Question 'Are we all in it together?'
Details http://www.ubu.org.uk/events/01112010/are-we-all-in-it-...ebate
police raid! shoot a 1000 to hit none!
07-11-2010 12:02
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Autistici-Inventati Newsletter
November 6th, 2010
POLICE RAID AGAINST AN A/I SERVER
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