UK Newswire Archive
Siva must stay in Bristol- demo today 13th
13-12-2010 12:22
26 year old father and his two children are to be separated as he is deported back to Sri Lanka having lived in the UK since childhood.Sivarajah, aged 26 has been living in the UK since he was 14 years old.
Last Tuesday, he was sent to Campsfield detention centre where he began a hunger strike. Monday marks the fifth day of this.
Siva is a much loved member of his community in Bristol, often cooking for 130 people at the Bristol Refugee Rights welcome centre.
He is a keen cricketer, having been a member of two cricket teams here.
Bristol Refugee Rights will be staging a demonstration at College Green 1pm Monday 13 December – demonstrators will be wearing cricket whites and appealing to the British publics sense of ‘Fair Play’ by declaring ‘It’s simply not Cricket’
Last Tuesday, he was sent to Campsfield detention centre where he began a hunger strike. Monday marks the fifth day of this.
Siva is a much loved member of his community in Bristol, often cooking for 130 people at the Bristol Refugee Rights welcome centre.
He is a keen cricketer, having been a member of two cricket teams here.
Bristol Refugee Rights will be staging a demonstration at College Green 1pm Monday 13 December – demonstrators will be wearing cricket whites and appealing to the British publics sense of ‘Fair Play’ by declaring ‘It’s simply not Cricket’
His deportation would be a direct contravention of the Human Rights Act, Article 8 which states that everyone has a right to family and private life. He has no family in Sri Lanka, his parents having been killed when he was 9 years old.
Contact :
Sampritti Clitheroe Welcome Centre Co-ordinator :07841 818573
Caroline Beattie Welcome Centre Manager: 07968092747
Sivarajah: 07504610079
Full article | 11 additions | 1 comment
Personal accounts of time inside the student protest kettles
13-12-2010 11:31
As the ConDems and their corporate journos froth at the moth, calling for yet more repression of protesters, little corporate reportage is given of events as experienced by the protesters themselves. Accounts from inside the kettles are being published on many different sites. On this site, we have already seen accounts posted to Indymedia by A level student Rosie Bergonzi kettled in Parliament square on December 9th, along with the reposted article The Fight For Parliament and the informative Capitalism is dying, let it burn. This thread is an attempt to draw in more eye witness accounts from inside and outside the kettles during the recent student protests.
EDL supporters list hits the net
13-12-2010 11:29
Lancaster Uni has reported of an English Defence League (EDL) list of donors.Collected pics from dayx3 fees vote demo
13-12-2010 11:24
Democracy or Dictatorship
13-12-2010 11:22
Today at 5 pm in Oxford Town Hall, the Labour led city council are planning to vote for the 'strong leader' system of governance, in other countries known as dictatorship.Be afraid. Be very afraid. Be shocked.Be angry THEN DO SOMETHING!
D13 - Australians in London Demand the Immediate Release of WikiLeaks founder
13-12-2010 11:08
PRESS RELEASE *Vigil from 4.30pm Australian Embassy The Strand*6pm Speeches/Music *Close 7.30pm * More info ph/text Ciaron 079 392 905 76
Australians in London Demand the Immediate Release of WikiLeaks founder
Letter from "Australians for the Immediate Release of Julian Assange" to
the Australian High Commissioner (see letter and signatories below)
Vodafone tax protest made me smile
12-12-2010 23:46
It made me smile to see tax dodging corporation Vodafone shoot themselves in the foot.
David Cameron on Police Violence
12-12-2010 23:23
David Cameron speaking on the tactics used by the Met police during recent peaceful protests
Press conference for Alfie Meadows:
12-12-2010 23:23
PART 1: Press conference held at ULU to discuss the current situation of Middlesex University student, Alfie Meadows, 20, who underwent emergency brain surgery following the student protests (09.12.10), having fallen victim to an incident of police brutality which saw him beaten around the head with a police baton.
THE CUTZ: this week in Bristol and Beyond ...
12-12-2010 23:22
12 December 2010"We come from the slums"
[most links removed]
P R O T E S T
MONDAY
STUDENTS OCCUPY SENATE HOUSE
A group of students occupied the University of Bristol's admin building, Senate House to protest the education cuts, fees and changes to the University's structure, budget and services. The occupiers say that they will end the occupation when they feel their demands have been sufficiently met. They also wish to turn the occupation into a space for all of Bristol's communities to meet and work together.
Blog: bristoluniresistance.org.uk,
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/Bristol-against-education-cuts/166916926663073
Email: aec.bris@gmail.com
Or come and visit: University of Bristol Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TH
OPEN ACCESS NOW!
The students occupying Senate House at the University of Bristol are effectively locked-in. Put pressure on the Vice Chancellor and demand open access for all. Send emails or phone the Vice Chancellor’s Office: (0117) 928 7499 or email, via his PA, Jami.West@bristol.ac.uk to demand open access. Please cc registrar Derek Pretty, Derek.Pretty@bristol.ac.uk. Also please sign the petition.
FOSTER PROTEST
Students, university staff and their families were up early to stage a demo at the Bath office of the city's MP Don Foster first thing Monday morning. The demonstrators then marched to Kingsmead Square.
TUESDAY
BATH SIT-INS
Students at both Bath and Bath Spa University began sit-in protests against the ConDems plans to raise tuition fees.
WEDNESDAY
EXETER UNIVERSITY
A group of 130 people, comprising Exeter College students, Exeter University staff and students and members of the public occupied a lecture theatre at Exeter University. The occupation took place after a march, which saw university and college students rally in Bedford Square, Exeter.
SCHOOLS OUT!
The first school occupation took place at Camden School for Girls. Around 50 A-level pupils occupied the sixth form hall and then gave an impromptu press conference in a nearby park when staff banned the press from the school.
THURSDAY
DAYX3
The protests in London were front page news across the world.
"WE'RE FROM THE SLUMS OF LONDON"
The unofficial manifesto for Thursday's protests appeared in a report that evening by Newsnight's Paul Mason. "We're from the slums of London ..." a gang of youths told Paul. While the student sit-ins echo '68 and riots in the capital look like the Poll Tax protests of 1990, these guys take us back to the Gordon Riots of the 18th Century. A heady mixture ... There's more on Paul's 'Idle Scrawl' blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BsTl4QRjI&feature=youtu.be
STUDENT REP INJURED
Paddy Besiris, Chair of University of the West of England Student Union at the St Matthias campus was admitted to hospital with a head injury inflicted by excessive force from the Metropolitan Police on Thursday.
ARRESTED?
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts is interested to hear from people who were arrested on Thursday to collect experiences and coordinate. Please get in touch via againstfeesandcuts@gmail.com
CIRENCESTER
Students from Cirencester College took part in a protest march against tuition fees hikes.
EMA
Trade unions are holding a nationwide day of lunchtime protests at colleges on 13 December over plans to axe the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for college students in England.They are calling on all members to support these peaceful lunchtime protests at their local college.
MORE SCHOOLKIDS DOING IT
On Tuesday 30 November 2010, over 100 schoolkids shouted slogans against the cuts while marching through Dorchester town centre. This was part of an ongoing campaign by school students from the Thomas Hardye. School. Please keep these regional reports rolling in. They show the strength, depth and reach of this movement.
CRY BABY
Students who attended the Friday 3 December demo at Clifton's yellow Tory MP Stephen Williams' surgery at Bristol's Council House reported to this week's meeting of the Bristol and District Anti-Cuts Alliance that he was close to tears as he addressed protestors and tried to explain his inexplicable pro-fees stance. What impressive leadership qualities he has.
SCAREDY CAT
Williams, the cowardly yellow Tory, also backed out of a debate about his toff boss Cameron's 'Big Society' last week, claiming he was staying away on police advice. Why didn't he just tell the cops to grow up and stop scaremongering? Nobody has threatened the MP and nobody is likely to.
COPPERS' RESOURCES UNDER PRESSURE
Avon and Somerset Police have admitted that the student protests are affecting their ability to police the region. Superintendent Ian Wylie said of the protests, "Clearly we are having to divert from other activities". He has refused to disclose the cost of policing the protests, saying he will not discuss "operational policing funding". Let's keep the pressure on comrades ...
JOURNO COPS
The media have started their daft 'blame-it on-the-anarchists' schtick. "London on alert as anarchists threaten to hijack student fees protest," announced London's Evening Standard on Wednesday. The story was by notorious journo-cop Justin Davenport who's been peddling this kind of nonsense for years.
Look out over the coming days and weeks for other journo-cops peddling anarcho-myths in the national press. Namely Martin Bright, Julian Kossof, Keith Dovkants, Mark Macaskill, Gervase Webb, Ken Hyder, David Leppard, Lucy Panton and the king of the journo-cops former Observer writer, David Rose, who ran a number of stories in the lead-up to the Iraq war linking Iraq to Al-Qaeda.
THE PR BATTLEGROUND
Top cop, Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, says it is crucial that police do not appear to be "an arm of the state" who are being used to allow the government to "impose cuts". He believes the cops' reputation could be seriously damaged "if it is allowed to be played as the cops acting as an arm of the state, delivering the elected government's will, rather than protecting the rights of the citizen". Now we know then.
CALL FOR PROTEST
A protest has been called in Bristol for Saturday 18 December. Meet at College Green at 1.00pm. #ukuncut also continue their protests against high street stores avoiding tax on the same day. Saturday goes under the name 'Pay Day'.
E V E N T S
NHS 'GET-TOGETHER'
The 38 Degrees website is organising a 'get-together' in Bristol at The Canteen on 12th December from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. The get-together is a great chance to sit down with other 38 Degrees members in your area to talk together about the government's plans for the NHS and what you can do to stop them.
B R I S T O L
LOCAL AUTHORITY CUTS
Publication of Bristol City Council’s detailed budget proposals for 2011-12 has been postponed until after Christmas. The proposals were due to be published at a council cabinet meeting on December 16. The delay is because a larger proportion of their £70m savings must now be found next year. Insiders say cuts in 2011 - 2012 will be over 25 per cent higher than originally stated at around £28m rather than £22m.
BENDY BUS STILL CANCELLED!
Contrary to reports in the Bristol Evening Post, Bristol's £48 million "bendy bus" route from the Long Ashton Park and Ride site at Ashton Vale to the city centre remains “under review” and listed as “unaffordable” by the government. The transport link was closely associated with the city's failed World Cup bid and Bristol City FC's 'on-hold' stadium project. The non-appearance of both of these makes the project even less likely, not more.
CADBURY
Bristol's new 'people's museum' the M-Shed has received a £20,000 donation from Cadbury, the chocolate firm, to pay for a display at the attraction. The news breaks just weeks before their Somerdale factory at Keynsham is closed permanently and production moved to Poland.
TAX AVOIDANCE
US company Kraft, new owners of the Cadbury chocolate business, are relocating some staff to Zurich in Switzerland to save millions in a tax scam.
GET ON YER BIKE!
Bristol's yellow Tories have decided the recession is good for us. Having spent £11.4m on creating a 'Cycling City' with little discernible effect, the project's yellow Tory cheerleader, Councillor Jon Rogers says, "more and more people will need to cycle because of the current economic downturn. It's likely that people will need to leave their cars at home and get out on their bikes."
HOMELESS
There is no refuge for women rough sleepers in Bristol despite there being - at least - twelve women sleeping out in the city. A refuge would cost around £30,000 to get off the ground.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Youth unemployment in Bristol has doubled since 2007 and is costing the city £1.1 million a week, according to a report by the Prince's Trust and RBS.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Also at this week's meeting of the Bristol and District Anti-Cuts Alliance were a number of workers from Bristol's voluntary sector. They had come straight from a meeting at the Council House where cuts of between 25 - 40 per cent were discussed. “People will die,” said one worker.
EDUCATION
Elmfield School for the deaf and those who have hearing difficulties will close. Bristol City Council have made the decision after an 'independent review' recommended closure. Instead the council wants to open "specialist resource bases" in the north and south of Bristol and have a base in a mainstream school.
HEALTH
Bristol's two hospital trusts are working on an agreement which will eventually result in their merger. University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UHBristol); which runs Bristol Royal Infirmary, St Michael's, the children's hospital and six other sites; and North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), which runs Frenchay and Southmead, are already looking at where acute health services should be run in the city as well as centralising payroll and other "back office" systems.
SIGN 'O THE TIMES
The country's biggest pawnbroker is opening a new shop in Broadmead. Albemarle & Bond are opening in the Horsefair this weekend.
HIGHER ED
Research carried out by the University and College Union (UCU) says that students at the University of Bristol would have to pay £6,581 fees annually. Students at the University of the West of England would be harder hit, however, having to stump up £6,609 every year.
B A T H
HOMELESS
The number of people accepted as homeless in the Bath area has more than doubled.
WALCOT YARD
Architectural salvage specialist MASCo who were planning to develop the historic Walcot Yard in Walcot Street, Bath have pulled the plug on the project. "Commercial values have been falling, and in any venture you have to weigh up the costs and benefits. When we came to make the final decision things had changed," they said.
N O R T H S O M E R S E T
NORTH SOMERSET
North Somerset Council will set its budget for 2011 - 2012 at a meeting of the full council on February 22, 2011. The draft budget will be scrutinised by councillors during December and January.
SHOPS CLOSING
Two big-name high street stores are to close in Weston Super Mare. Next will leave its town centre location in the spring while Burton menswear is being merged with a Dorothy Perkins store and will leave its current location in the run-up to Christmas.
LIBRARIES
North Somerset Council will shut Weston Super Mare's library and register office and relocate them to the Town Hall as part of their £9.7 million office modernisation programme.
PARKING CHARGES
Parking charges will be increased across in North Somerset to raise cash for the cash-strapped council. The cost of parking at Weston’s Carlton Street, Melrose and Grove Park car parks will rise by 20 pence per hour.
RACISM
Racism is increasing in Weston and Worle as the recession bites. Support Against Racist Incidents (Sari) says it is dealing with more racist incidents than ever before in the district.
CHILDREN'S CENTRES
Schools and voluntary organisations will have to provide more funding for North Somerset children’s centres. The local authority is looking to move their automatic responsibility for funding the centres onto third parties to save money.
S O U T H G L O U C E S T E R S H I R E
HEALTH
A GP consortium in South Gloucestershire will be taking the lead in the Government's plans to overhaul the way health services are commissioned. Health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that 52 GP consortia across England, including the South Gloucestershire Consortium, will be among the first to take on the responsibility of commissioning services in their areas.
CARE
The row over the privatisation of residential homes for the elderly in south Gloucestershire rumbles on.
S O M E R S E T
RECYCLING CHARGES ON THE WAY
Following protests in Crewkerne last week, alternatives to shutting down Somerset's recycling centres are being considered by the county council. Topping the list of ideas is charging for general use of the centres.
ARTS
Arts groups in Somerset have more than 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for Somerset County Council to reconsider withdrawing funds from projects that support children and vulnerable people. The petition is online at www.gopetition.com/petition/40729.html.
G L O U C E S T E R S H I R E
HOT AIR
Local students have slammed Cheltenham MP, yellow Tory Martin Horwood for not bothering to attend the vote on tuition fees this week. The MP flew out to Cancun in Mexico to talk about climate change instead.
TOILETS
Community groups in Hucclecote, Gloucestershire are being forced to take on the running of their public toilets after the council shut them down, along with others in Gloucestershire, earlier this year.
FIFA
The Football Association's acting chairman, Cheltenham-based Gloucestershire FA chairman Roger Burden, will not be seeking the English FA post permanently. “I am not prepared to deal with people whom I cannot trust,” he says. Pity he and council's such as Bristol's didn't take this view a lot earlier and save a considerable amount of public money.
STROUD
Around 50 students, including Stroud High School and Marling School pupils, met with Stroud MP Neil Carmichael this week. However, Carmichael will still vote for the increase in fees. Carmichael set up the meeting after a protest last week at his office where his aides had to lock themselves in to prevent protestors storming the office.
EDUCATION
Ministers will approve a cost-cutting merger of the Royal Forest of Dean College and Gloucestershire College in the next few days.
PAY CUTS
Gloucester City Council have scrapped plans to cut council workers' hours in favour of pay cuts. The council is not pursuing a proposal for a 35-hour week because it could affect hundreds of workers' pensions. Instead, a pay cut of around five per cent, which would protect around 25 jobs, is proposed.
FINANCIAL SERVICES JOB LOSSES
Thirty eight more jobs will go at Cheltenham-based Chelsea Building Society following a merger with Yorkshire Building Society.
C S R
HOUSING BENEFIT
The ConDems housing benefit reforms will be delayed by six months so that poor families have more time to move house. Up to 82,000 households may be affected by the reforms, which were pencilled in for April 2011. they could now be put back until January 2012.
HEALTH
Patient care will be compromised by health bosses dealing with the major reform of the NHS, GPs were told by Professor Chris Ham when he addressed more than 100 family doctors in Cheltenham this week. GPs are preparing to take over the buying of health services following the abolition of primary care trusts in 2013.
E C O N O M Y
DAIRY
Farmers have dismissed the alleged end of the milk pricing "war" as a public relations stunt by big supermarkets.
THE DECLINE OF THE WEST
"On current trends, Europe and America face high unemployment for a decade and worsening youth unemployment to come," says former PM Gordon Brown.
PUBS
Pub property values have halved since 2007. Pub property specialists Fleurets say pub owners are selling up because they can no longer turn a profit.
Punch Taverns is thinking of handing back the keys to 6,000 of its 6,800-strong pub estate to cut its £3bn debt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/07/pub-prop...halve
B U S I N E S S
BUSINESS LEADERS LOVE THE CUTS
The Western Morning News Business Barometer has found that the cuts announced by the ConDems have been welcomed by business leaders. The average approval rating was around 80 per cent on almost all the questions raised in relation to the spending cuts.
DEFENCE
Defence company BAE Systems is set to deliver a pre-Christmas jobs blow by announcing cuts of up to 1,350 posts.
S T U F F
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List of EDL English Defence League donators leaked..
12-12-2010 23:16
A list showing the full contact details of shoppers and donors who used the far-right English Defence League’s (EDL) clothing website has been published online.The website was compromised by hackers early on Sunday morning who replaced it with their own page. Almost 350 people who used the website have had their names, addresses and email addresses published online.
Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance: Communiqué No.1
12-12-2010 22:23
Please note that the Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance Steering Committee will have its first meeting on Tuesday 14th December at 7pm at the Trades & Labour Club on Talbot Street (downstairs room).
Notts Cuts Watch #9
12-12-2010 21:24
The past week has seen the snow give way to freezing temperatures, but again this has done nothing to stop the onslaught on public services, nor the burgeoning fightback, with even Prince Charles getting caught up in anti-fees protests. Events haven't been quite so exciting in Notttinghamshire, but there's been a lot going on, some of which (but inevitably not all) is recorded below.
If you’ve got a story which hasn’t been picked up elsewhere, email nottssos+watch [at] gmail.com.
Community Centre
The Post reported on Thursday that the Chase Community Centre in St Anns, which closed two years ago, is once again facing an uncertain future. Until 2008, the centre was run by the Chase Action Group (CAG) who pulled out, citing financial difficulties. The centre was then handed over to the city council who leased it to the Renewal Trust (which it should be noted is chaired by council leader Jon Collins).
The lease was for 25 years, albeit with a break clause allowing the trust to leave after one or three years. The trust says it hasn’t been possible to find funding and the four staff employed at the centre will be made redundant at the end of December. Cherry Underwood, Trust executive, told the Post, “Unfortunately, the funding crisis is starting to bite across the voluntary sector and the Renewal Trust has been unable to secure sufficient funding for the Chase Neighbourhood Centre.”
Leisure
According to the Post, “700 Calverton residents have now signed a petition against the planned closure” of Claverton Leisure Centre. Gedling Borough Council plan to close Arnold, Redhill and Calverton Leisure Centres ostensibly in order to build a new one in Arnold. If we can believe the Post, the campaign against the closure is being led by the Calverton Labour Party (Gedling is a Conservative-run authority, although even local Tory MP Mark Spencer is opposed to the plan). Opponent of the closure Mike Hope, told the Post, “The only benefit of this closure is the council will be able to make some money from selling off the land.”
Local MPs
Local MP and Minister for Justice Ken Clarke has been in the news this week after his ministry published a green paper advocating shorter prison sentences. This is actually rather sensible, but predictably didn’t go down well with the hang ’em and flog ’em brigade. That said, there are questions about exactly how much money the proposals will save, which only goes to underline the fact that saving money is a very bad starting point for setting social policy.
Tory MP for Broxtowe Anna Soubry has done a thoroughly shoddy job of representing the posties in her constituency, but has apparently written to Ken Clarke and county council leader Kay Cutts “hi lighting her concerns for Broxtowe Citizens Advice Bureau which is facing a profound crisis in funding which will mean that they will struggle to maintain their existing level of work.” The Tory-run county council is currently consulting on cutting their funding to CAB in the county by two thirds.
Lilian Greenwood MP has criticised the government’s decision to cut funding to the Meadows PFI regeneration scheme in Parliament. In what the Post described as a “hard-hitting section of her speech” Greeenwood “suggested that Samantha Cameron and Miriam Clegg would never know the hardships of living in a run down inner-city estate.” She said, ""The Government claims that we are all in this together. But I don’t imagine Mrs Cameron or Mrs Clegg would struggle with a buggy up three flights of stairs and along a walkway to get home with their shopping bags. I don’t suppose they worry about walking down dark alley ways and through tunnels on their way home at night. And I don’t imagine they have to worry that their windows don’t fit properly, that their flat is cold and damp or their kitchen is falling to pieces." Greenwood lives in Southwell.
Nottingham City Council
The city council has been organising a series of meetings entitled “We asked, You said.” This follows a survey in October in which the council “asked you to tell us which council services are most important to you and where savings can be made,” i.e. “what you want us to cut.” Campaigners have turned up to some of these meetings. Sneinton Against the Cuts went to their local event on Monday and others in Forest Fields went to a meeting in Forest Fields Community Centre on Wednesday, concluding “Forest Fields, and the whole of Nottingham, deserve better than this shower.” Quite.
The council are looking at reducing the range of sports and leisure discounts available to residents. Unfortunately, as Andy of NCC LOLs explains, “it’s a case study of what happens if you don’t get someone who knows what they’re talking about in to help.” The portfolio holder decision (pdf) mangling the current policy and introducing real confusion over who is going to be eligible.
Andy also has some information on possible attacks on the terms and conditions of council workers. His source suggests likely cuts include, “Big reductions to redundancy payments; No longer being paid for first three days off sick; Reducing time on redeployment from 3 to 6 months; and most bizarrely, forcing over 55s to reduce their hours.”
The council’s application for a judicial review into the decision to cut the funding for the Building Schools for the Future PFI scheme was approved last week. On Monday, at a case management hearing, it was agreed that the case would heard in court, alongside similar challenges from Luton, Kent and Waltham Forest, on January 25th.
Nothing gets the tabloids more worked up than the subject of grit. So, inevitably, the Post had a big story about the fact that despite 150 people requesting grit bins for their streets, the council has only provided 40. Jane Urquhart, councillor with responsibility for transport, told the Post “Adding another 150 grit boxes to the list is just money we don’t have.”
Nottinghamshire County Council
The county council claims that they have managed to save £8m since April by changing the way they buy goods and services. This was reported in the Post in an article woefully short on details, making any evaluation of the claims impossible.
The council hopes to save a further £5m a year by bringing in Logica (who describe themselves as a “a business consulting and technology service company”) to install a SAP system for back office processes, at a cost of £7.4m over four years. On their website, Logica claim, “The contract worth £7.4 million over five years will see Logica work with the Council to implement internal shared services using Logica’s unique Local Government Framework approach. SAP ERP will enable support functions such as HR, payroll, finance and procurement to be run with greater efficiency and provide a better service to managers and staff delivering Council services.” So it’s a multi-million pound government IT project run by private sector consultants. What could possibly go wrong?
On the subject of consultants, it’s also been revealed this week that the council has spent £1.5m on consultants in the hope of saving money. According to the Post, the council “shelled out more than £1 million to 17 individuals from four companies as part of the Improvement and Change Programme.The cost covered 1,568 days work, meaning an average daily rate of £649. Capita Resourcing were paid £264,480, Smartsourcing £9,350, UK Public Sector £721,966 and NCC Group £22,044. The council also spent more than £550,000 on reviews of how it works. Tribal Consulting got £138,625, DECATS £120,000, PricewaterhouseCoopers £249,915, Purosolutions £18,000 and NCC £24,835.” Mike Scott of Notts County Unison wasn’t best please: “We are vehemently opposed to this. It is a waste of money. There are people who work for the authority who could do this work. I think it’s a big insult to the people who work for the council and a waste of council tax-payers’ money.”
This week also saw the council announce plans to increase are charges, putting up the cost of a space at a care home, meals on wheels and home help. David Jones, chairman of the Nottingham and Notts Pensioners’ Action Group told the Post, “Those pensioners who have savings are being clobbered.” Mike Scott of Unison, meanwhile, accused the council of trying to run down services so that they could be closed in the future.
On Thursday 9th December, Notts County Unison held a small protest outside County Hall. The demonstration was timed to coincide with the full council meeting. Three campaigners were dressed as skeletons to symbolise the “skeleton services” which they fear will be left if the cuts are carried out. There was also a cardboard box covered in brown paper, presumably intended to represent a coffin holding the remains of public services in Nottinghamshire. The lobby was relatively small, but a larger protest is likely next week when the council’s cabinet meets to discuss budget proposals and the closure of Gedling School.
Private Sector
According to the BBC, 77 jobs are to be lost at Bodill & Sons (Contractors) Ltd, based in Linby and Hucknall which has gone into administration. Richard Philpott from administrators KPMG told the BBC, “The pressures on contractors in the current climate are immense and we envisage things only getting harder as we enter 2011.”
Schools
The controversy around the planned closure of Gedling School continued this week. On Tuesday, the Post reported that campaigners were calling on Nottinghamshire County Council to defer making a decision about the closure. Currently, the decision to begin “consulting” on the closure is to be made by the council’s cabinet at it’s December 15th meeting.
Catherine O’Riordan explained to the Post, “I have asked if it is possible for the Cabinet on the 15th to be persuaded to postpone making a decision and allow us time to demonstrate how Gedling School can be transformed… (Education Secretary) Michael Gove’s White Paper outlines a variety of opportunities for schools to improve themselves.” Anti-cuts campaigners have vocally supported the Save Gedling School campaign, but may be more wary of O’Riordan’s plans to “put a vision forward for transforming Gedling School in line with the Conservative vision for schools.”
The county council ignored these pleas, instead publishing a report (pdf). This was described by the Post – in its usual restrained tone – as “damning.” The Save Gedling School campaign were quick to put out a response, criticising “the deceptive manner in which this report has been presented.” They followed this up with a more detailed critique of the figures used.
Universities
On Monday, students held a meeting with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nottingham. This was agreed following the occupation at the university last week. The meeting was preceded by a rally. Students got a chance to put their position and ask questions of the VC. According to Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts, “Greenaway admitted that he believed Higher Education to be a privilege not a right and agreed with markets and a tiered system in university education.”
Students have committed themselves to continuing the campaign. On Wednesday a number travelled to the NUS organised demonstration in Sheffield (Nick Clegg’s constituency), with at least 4 coaches travelling to the demonstration in London on december 9th, the day of the vote on increasing fees.
Upcoming
The following is a run-down of the anti-cuts events I know about happening over the next week.
- Monday 13th December,2pm, Nottingham City Council meeting which includes a motion introduced by David Mellen requesting that the government “review and change” their policies to avoid “leading to a wasted generation in Nottingham and the UK”. Presumably you can go along to support the motion. Remember to be rude through the rest of the meeting.
- Monday 13th December, 7.30pm, Notts SOS meeting. Open planning meeting at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road.
- Monday 13th December, 7.30pm, the local labour party is holding a debate at the Labour Group’s City Agent’s office about the Nottingham Labour Party’s strategy for the local elections next in May next year. Council leader Jon Collins is chairing. Why not go along and make some helpful suggestions? The address is Unit 13a, John Folman Business Centre, Hungerhill Road, NG3 4NB.
- Wednesday 15th December, 11am, Nottinghamshire County Council cabinet meets to discuss the budget and closure of Gedling School. Apparently the Save Gedling School campaign are planning a protest, although there’s nothing on their website.
- Saturday 18th December, the latest day of action against tax avoiding corporations. Nothing has been publicised in Nottingham yet, but there have been actions on the previous days.
Reclaim The Night 2010 - Leeds
12-12-2010 21:23
On Saturday 4th December over 150 women and children marched through the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, to fight against rape and sexual violence. They were joined by their supporters later on in the march.
A Day for Shaker Aamer, 11 December 2010, Battersea
12-12-2010 21:04
Higher Education Discussion Panel
12-12-2010 20:22
The Senate House Occupation presents two panel discussions on The Future of Higher Education on Monday, 13th December 2010.University academics, students and occupiers will speaking on the Senate House Occupation and the future of education in the light of the cuts.
Students - come and show solidarity. University cards will be needed to attend the discussions.
http://bristoluniresistance.org.uk/
The Senate House Occupation presents two panel discussions on The Future of Higher Education on Monday, 13th December 2010.
1.00 – 1:30 Demand Access: Come and demand the right to enter the Senate House Occupation. If refused proceed to Berkeley Square(near top of Park st) for media link-up.
1:30 – 1.45 Introduction: History and aims of the Senate House Occupation
1.45 – 2.45 Session 1: Alex Anesio, Snr. Lecturer in Low Temp Biogeochemistry;
Nathan Eisenstadt, Postgraduate Student & Occupier;
Harriet Bradley, Professor of Sociology
2.45 – 3.00 Break
3.00 – 4.00 Session 2: Chris Bertram, Professor in Social & Political Philosophy;
Mark Jackson, Lecturer in Postcolonial Geographies;
Morag McDermont, Senior Lecturer in Law
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=35+Berkeley+Square&oe=u...&z=16
Eye-witness report back from the Middle East, 14 December
12-12-2010 19:32
7.30pm, Tuesday 14 DecemberThe Ship, 68 Borough Rd, Southwark, London, SE1 1DX
London Protest - Hot or Not? Move forward
12-12-2010 18:55
I’m still trying to get my head round the Tuition Fees protests, but I’m feeling pretty sure now that people weren’t happy with it, and its not the bacon.Capitalism is dying, let it burn – Report From the Front Line of the London Mob
12-12-2010 18:43
Having successfully escaped my college before they attempted to imprison us again, following the events of the 24th, when our tyrant deputy head locked the gates, resulting in many of us just climbing over them anyway, I began my journey to Malet Street.
Reclaim the Night 2010
12-12-2010 17:23
On Saturday 4th December over 150 women and children marched through the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, to fight against rape and sexual violence.
Reclaim the Night, also known as Take Back the Night, began in 1976 in Belgium and then a further 11 took place in the UK in 1977 in response to the "Ripper Murders" in Leeds. It has made a resurrgence in the last few years and there was one in Leeds in 2009 aswell.