london's where its at on the 9th imo.
Why the separate demos?
About us
False Economy is for everyone concerned about the impact of the government’s spending cuts on their community, their family or their job.
It is brought to you by local campaigners, those who rely on or support good public services and those who work to supply them.
False Economy’s supporters want to build the broadest possible movement that can get the government to change direction.
Of course the country has been damaged by the recession, but there are alternatives to these deep, rapid cuts.
The government’s cuts are unfair, risk the fragile economic recovery and fail to make those who caused the crash pay a proper contribution through the tax system to clearing up the mess they made.
False Economy is not a top-down national organisation.
We recognise that there will be many campaigns against cuts, with some based locally, others that link up people in particular sectors, and others that bring together national organisations. Not all will agree on every aspect or share the same priorities.
But while we welcome and respect this diversity, we believe that we will be more effective when we work together, share information and pool resources.
False Economy will grow and develop as the campaign develops, but we launch with these initial objectives:
* To gather and map information and personal testimony about the cuts and their effects
* To show that there are alternative economic approaches
* To provide resources and tools for campaigners and campaign groups
False Economy is for everyone who thinks the coalition is cutting too much, too fast and wants to do something about it.
How we are run
False Economy came about through discussions between on-line activists, campaigners and trade unions. Out of this a small working group was formed to guide the creation of False Economy. The site was built by Clifford Singer, who developed MyDavidCameron and runs The Other TaxPayers’ Alliance. We are grateful to pre-launch financial support from the TUC, Unison, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Fire Brigades Union. We are now seeking further funding, and will soon be able to accept donations online.
False Economy working group
* Guy Aitchison, openDemocracy
* Kate Belgrave, Hangbitch
* Alison Charlton, Unison
* Nishma Doshi
* Deborah Grayson, Mutiny
* Sunny Hundal, Liberal Conspiracy
* Chaminda Jayanetti, A Thousand Cuts
* Becky Luff, The Cuts Won’t Work
* Adam Ramsay, No Shock Doctrine for Britain
* Clifford Singer, The Other TaxPayers’ Alliance
* Nigel Stanley, TUC
* Stuart White, Oxford Save our Services
Supporters
Here are some of our initial supporters. We welcome further supporting organisations – both nationally and locally – other than political party groups. Please get in touch if you are interested.
* Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
* Compass
* Fire Brigades Union
* Left Foot Forward
* Liberal Conspiracy
* The Other TaxPayers' Alliance
* PCS
* Red Pepper
* TUC
* Unison
Thank you
Hilary Aked, Captain Ska, Deborah Allwright, Julia Bard, Chris Coltrane, Jim Cranshaw, Lucian Evans, Josie Long, Martin McIvor, Alex Stobart, Sam West and John Wood.
I had a very frustrating conversation with a union steward at the Camden demonstration the other day. He, like a few in what we might call the 'old left', is still convinced the Labour Party will save them. I don't know what to say to these people - if fifteen years of evidence isn't enough then what would be? Would they have to watch their politicians raping babies in front of them before they give up on them?labour councilors in lewisham are in favour of implementing 'democratic socialist cuts' so they are refusing to vote down the cuts budget this Monday - this particular councillor (Mike Harris) after writing to Lewisham Anti Cuts Alliance to tell us of his pro-cuts voting intentions signed of his mail 'In solidarity'
then one member of the group suggested this councillor may be a useful friend down the line so we shouldn't attack him publicly about this
I had a very frustrating conversation with a union steward at the Camden demonstration the other day. He, like a few in what we might call the 'old left', is still convinced the Labour Party will save them. I don't know what to say to these people - if fifteen years of evidence isn't enough then what would be? Would they have to watch their politicians raping babies in front of them before they give up on them?
The problem is not faith in Labour, but a lack of realistic alternatives.
One thing I have noticed is, with thd exceptions of McDonnell & Corbyn, there has been a complete absence of mainstream party political opposition from the Labour leadership on the cuts issue.
One thing I have noticed is, with thd exceptions of McDonnell & Corbyn, there has been a complete absence of mainstream party political opposition from the Labour leadership on the cuts issue.
It's as if the anti-cuts movement has bypassed both Labour & the far left - & making it hard for the mainstream media to identify leaders...because there are none!
12 speakers
The problem is not faith in Labour, but a lack of realistic alternatives.
Serious question - if the best TUSC could manage was an average 1% when Labour had been in for 3 terms and we'd just seen the MPs expenses stuff - what makes you think that it will be possible to build an electoral alternative to Labour in the short term when a Labour vote is seen as the only way of punishing the 2 coalition parties - and a vote for smaller parties will be seen as splitting the anti-coalition vote?
Auto-Labourism is here to stay in the short term, at least in electoral terms - the question is what kind pressures can be put on Labour to shift them to the left and what kind of alliances can be built to make a medium-long term shift from Labourism possible.
excellent post, should circulate
This is one option. I've also wondered what mileage there might be in putting the energy not into parties at all but into a campaign to decentralise power enough so that the whole issue of 'national' parties becomes not particularly important.Now 'autonomists' can poo poo this but I'd argue that - eventually - an alternative will be needed to help break with the 'alternative' of folk voting labour (for want of better) on the backs of all the hard work in progress at the moment (and from this the potential for the hard right to grow). That alternative is not calling for a 'leftie' party or a 'trade union' party (not even a 'TUSC' party - I hope it could play its part and I think socialist ideas are likely to be part of that organisation). It is likely to be the result of a genuine coalition of all of the many elements that will come out of this movement - anti-cuts, anti-capitalist, pro-alternatives, environmental trends, pro-real democracy trends.
I don't think the inclusion or exclusion of local Labour party members should be a point of general principle - it's a matter of local judgement on the basis of positions taken.
This is one option. I've also wondered what mileage there might be in putting the energy not into parties at all but into a campaign to decentralise power enough so that the whole issue of 'national' parties becomes not particularly important.
Of course - I agree. So does the SP. The swaps have been trying to distort our view on this which is a pretty desperate thing to do on their part after coming under fire for the crass position they are taking.