Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Regional anti-cuts organising

love detective said:
Here's what one RTW/SWP had to say about LACA:-

I'm finding the level of debate here is completely hamstrung by the veering between absolute rejection of any formal or informal alliances with anyone not operating under LACA's agenda, and a completely un-self-aware, and highly haughty, attitude towards any other cuts groups, both local and national.

Thusly, this level of sectarian moralism, and self-deluded overestimation of ones own importance, dismatle any and all revolutionary relevance vis-a-vis the position LACA is taking over the cuts
Click to expand...
oh,fucking hell,they never change:(
 
Can;t remember if I posted this here already or not..

Birmingham
Wed 23rd March,
5pm-6:45pm
demonstration at Govt. Offices for West Midlands, St. Philips Place

23rd is budget day, hence the demo..

also next planning meeting for Birmingham Against the Cuts is on Monday 21st.

Oh, and I'm going to be on Unity FM (93.5fm or online via www.unityfm.net) on Thursday from 5pm-6pm being interviewed about the cuts and then there is a phone in..
 
dynamicbaddog said:
Deptfords' disused job centre now occupied and converted into Social Centre Plus
http://socialcentreplus.wordpress.com/
hopefully this will become a focal point and bring more people from the community into the anti cuts movement.
Click to expand...

This was the first day it was open to the public - it was a roaring success and people are really focussed on making it a community space. They've kept out the parties and the jugglers so people can feel safe there. It feels like it could be the first really good community social centre I've seen in London (as opposed to an activist/party centre which is what they generally turn into). There must be buildings all over the country emptying as councils withdraw their services - buildings in prime locations on high streets and in town centres....
 
Interesting reaction in South London to the SWP trying to get pro-cuts MPs on to the 26 March South London Feeder assembly point as speakers.

Lewisham Against the Cuts Alliance 16 to 2 against.
Southwark SOS 13 to 2 against.
Lambeth SOS 35 to 5 against.

At least six of the nine votes for were the SWP. Good to see those groups overwhelmingly voting against having those hypocritical tossers on the platform.

The last two planning meetings for Lambeth SOS have been 50 and 40 people with a genuine mix of people. Now has backing from Lambeth UNISON, GMB, NUT, UNITE, UCU, RMT (four different RMT branches), Lambeth Tenant's Council, Defend Council Housing, Lambeth Pensioners Action Group, BARAC, Lambeth TUC and others.
 
love detective said:
Here's what one RTW/SWP had to say about LACA:-

I'm finding the level of debate here is completely hamstrung by the veering between absolute rejection of any formal or informal alliances with anyone not operating under LACA's agenda, and a completely un-self-aware, and highly haughty, attitude towards any other cuts groups, both local and national.

Thusly, this level of sectarian moralism, and self-deluded overestimation of ones own importance, dismatle any and all revolutionary relevance vis-a-vis the position LACA is taking over the cuts
Click to expand...

would be interested to know who said that and when .. you got a link? :)
 
Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union meeting
After the national demo on 26 March, the question will be 'what next?' in the battle against the cuts. This will discussed at the next WFACU meeting on 7 April, where speakers will include:
Alex Gordon - RMT transport union president
Matt Wrack - FBU firefighters' union general secretary
Len Hockey - Whipps Cross hospital Unison
Paul Callanan - Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow march organiser
7 April, 7.30pm, William Morris Centre, Greenleaf Rod, off Hoe St, E17 6QQ
Put this date in your diary now!
 
'Mencap Big Cuts Event - Manchester M22
Location: UK » North West » M

When: Tuesday 22 March 2011, 12:00pm

iCalendar

Where: Wythenshawe Forum Trust Ltd, Forum Centre, Forum Square, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5RX

Google map

Mencap (a learning disability charity) is holding a series of roadshow events across the country to tell people about the cuts happening in their area, and to look at ways we can work together to fight them.

Professor Luke Clements, a leading lawyer and expert in community care law, will be speaking about accessing support and what your rights are. You will also be able to find out exactly what cuts are being proposed in your area and how these could affect you and your family.

Mencap’s campaigns team will also be speaking at each event and will be on hand to provide advice and information on issues specific to each area.

For more information, go to http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=20547

* Website: www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=20547
* Email: hayley.hughes@mencap.org.uk
* Telephone: 01905 740500'


Some charities are again realising who they are for and challenging the cuts, they are happening all over the UK.
 
Some stuff coming up in Bristol:

Tonight
BADACA Social Care, Claimants & Welfare open meetings
every Tuesday 7.30pm at Bristol County Sports Club, 40 Colston ST, BS1
5AE.
Email stuffit@riseup.net, call 07748707000 or check
www.bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk for more info.

Related demo being organised:
April 14th, 12-5
Government buildings, Flowers Hill, BS4 5LA.

Welfare as we know it is under attack. Those claiming disability benefits
are facing severe pressure as record numbers are being assessed as fit
for work when they aren't. ATOS, the company doing the tests, seems to
be paid by results, putting unacceptable pressure on their workers.
Bristol & District Anti Cuts Alliance (BADACA) and Bristol Disability
Equality Forum (DEF) have decided as both workers & claimants to call a
public protest to highlight this. All welcome
Click to expand...

And next week:
FIGHTING THE CUTS -
THE WAY FORWARD

Monday 4th April
7.30pm
Colston Hall (Hall 2), Bristol

Speaker:
MARK SERWOTKA
General Secretary, Public & Commercial Services Union

Flyer here (pdf)
 
Birmingham: some failing in communcation here, monday has two planning meetings - one for birmingham agianst the cuts and one for stirchley and cotteridge against the cuts (stirchley and cotteridge are neighbouring areas in birmingham). 6:30pm for batc, unison offices, 19th floor mcclaren tower, priory queensway and 7:30 for stirchley and cotteridge, stirchley community centre.

Advance notice that the lib dem conference is going to be in brum in september and there will be a big demo, right to work and batc are going to work together to create it, I'm sure that they'll be joined by other groups.
 
Deciding if PSA meeting in Middlesbrough tomorrow is worth the bother. Turned into a pro labour talking shop and PCS tailending Unison.
 
'From Birmingham Against the Cuts

Twenty Connexions workers walked out on strike from the Northfield Centre at 1pm today. They held a lively protest outside the building for an hour and were well received by passing motorists, who gave their support in the customary fashion. Afterwards, they went on into town for the city centre rally.

Over two hundred Connexions workers joined an inspiring rally outside the Council House at 2.30 on Wednesday. Some marched down Broad Street from their office. Others joined from two other centres that were on strike, Kings Heath and Northfield.
Complete with music and speeches, a defiant message was sent out to the ConDem council that this vital service for young people would not lie down or be attacked without fighting back.
Amongst the speakers were Labour group leader Albert Bore and Jack Dromey MP. While their presence was to be welcomed, no commitment to reverse these cuts was given if Labour were to be returned to power in Birmingham in May, or at the national level if the ConDem coalition were to fall.

Nevertheless, good weather and an uplifting protest made it an enjoyable event and hopefully a sign of things to come.'
 
Yeah, I was suprised by their choice of speakers, labour did vote against the council budget, but I agree that Bore would have done the same if Labour were in power.
I guess that Bore is a prominent labour politician locally and unison/connexions (I'm not sure exactly who organised this) are quite wedded to Labour still. I don;t know who else spoke either.
 
Sorry, I know this isn't a discussion thread, but why was the prescence of Labour politicians - now trying to get in bed with anti-cuts activists while refusing to oppose the cuts - to be welcomed? That's absurd. There are some unionists and old-style socialists around who seriously need to be re-educated on the worth of the Labour party. They just put these people on the platform because that's what they've always done - and they still have some romantic attachment to the hypothetical Labour Party that doesn't exist. It would be good to see people trying to stop the Labour politicians having their cake and eating it. Run the cunts off the stage is my suggestion :)
 
Brainaddict said:
Sorry, I know this isn't a discussion thread, but why was the prescence of Labour politicians - now trying to get in bed with anti-cuts activists while refusing to oppose the cuts - to be welcomed? That's absurd. There are some unionists and old-style socialists around who seriously need to be re-educated on the worth of the Labour party. They just put these people on the platform because that's what they've always done - and they still have some romantic attachment to the hypothetical Labour Party that doesn't exist. It would be good to see people trying to stop the Labour politicians having their cake and eating it. Run the cunts off the stage is my suggestion :)
Click to expand...

It is you who needs to be re-educated.
Ignoring the importance of the Labour Party in the anti cuts fight would be a serious tactical error. I'm not suggesting that activists should uncritically support Labour politicians who are making cuts but the majority of people who oppose the cuts are still looking to the party to defend them against the tories. This is why in last year's council elections in Lewisham the Greens and the ultra left were completely wiped in the surge back to the Labour.
 
dynamicbaddog said:
It is you who needs to be re-educated.
Ignoring the importance of the Labour Party in the anti cuts fight would be a serious tactical error. I'm not suggesting that activists should uncritically support Labour politicians who are making cuts but the majority of people who oppose the cuts are still looking to the party to defend them against the tories. This is why in last year's council elections in Lewisham the Greens and the ultra left were completely wiped in the surge back to the Labour.
Click to expand...

Is the supposed to be a reply to Brainaddict's post? Because the behaviour of the Labour controlled council since that election - and in particular its willing participation in the government's cuts agenda - only shows how mistaken the voters of Lewisham were if they were looking to Labour to lead any resistance to the cuts.
 
past caring said:
Is the supposed to be a reply to Brainaddict's post? Because the behaviour of the Labour controlled council since that election - and in particular its willing participation in the government's cuts agenda - only shows how mistaken the voters of Lewisham were if they were looking to Labour to lead any resistance to the cuts.
Click to expand...
the voters weren't mistaken but the fact that Labour is letting them down stresses the need for a political fight within the Labour Party so that it becomes accountable to the people it was set up to represent.
 
dynamicbaddog said:
It is you who needs to be re-educated.
Ignoring the importance of the Labour Party in the anti cuts fight would be a serious tactical error. I'm not suggesting that activists should uncritically support Labour politicians who are making cuts but the majority of people who oppose the cuts are still looking to the party to defend them against the tories. This is why in last year's council elections in Lewisham the Greens and the ultra left were completely wiped in the surge back to the Labour.
Click to expand...

Is anyone saying to "ignore" labour?
 
dynamicbaddog said:
the voters weren't mistaken but the fact that Labour is letting them down stresses the need for a political fight within the Labour Party so that it becomes accountable to the people it was set up to represent.
Click to expand...

Yes, Labour will inevitably be looked to by people who want to kick both coalition parties out of government - of course there needs to be a challenge to the leadership's reticence to fight on a clear anti-cuts agenda. But standing impotently on the sidelines will achieve precisely fuck all
 
dynamicbaddog said:
the voters weren't mistaken but the fact that Labour is letting them down stresses the need for a political fight within the Labour Party so that it becomes accountable to the people it was set up to represent.
Click to expand...

Changing the party from within, eh? That's been a great success thus far...:rolleyes:
 
Fighting to reclaim the Labour party? That's a battle that has been decisively lost. One might as well attempt to change the Tories from within.
 
dynamicbaddog said:
It is you who needs to be re-educated.
Ignoring the importance of the Labour Party in the anti cuts fight would be a serious tactical error. I'm not suggesting that activists should uncritically support Labour politicians who are making cuts but the majority of people who oppose the cuts are still looking to the party to defend them against the tories. This is why in last year's council elections in Lewisham the Greens and the ultra left were completely wiped in the surge back to the Labour.
Click to expand...

It's not just about the anti-cuts stuff. If the original reasons for the establishment of the Labour Party are important to you, then I don't see how anyone can support the Labour Party, because viewed in those terms it is not a party of labour but a party of capital. I don't see how it can recover from that. The systems of control that keep the rich in power completely saturate the top of the Labour party. I don't think grassroots Labour activists can change it short of a bloody revolution :p

We'll have to agree to disagree I guess.
 
Brainaddict said:
It's not just about the anti-cuts stuff. If the original reasons for the establishment of the Labour Party are important to you, then I don't see how anyone can support the Labour Party, because viewed in those terms it is not a party of labour but a party of capital. I don't see how it can recover from that. The systems of control that keep the rich in power completely saturate the top of the Labour party. I don't think grassroots Labour activists can change it short of a bloody revolution :p

.
Click to expand...
no that's a deeply flawed analysis. I agree that the right have always maintained a grip on the party in order to protect capitalist interests, but...
As the crisis of capitalism intensifies we will see more and more huge clashes between the classes. Such a situation will radicalise the working class and transform the labour movement. This is how the Labour Party will change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

RevolutionSound
Tory councillor accuses Dawn Butler of anti semitism on LBC
Replies
1
Views
573
GarveyLives
G
TopCat
Anti coronation protests
Replies
4
Views
591
FridgeMagnet
FridgeMagnet
HeAthen
BBC accused of antisemitism
2 3 4
Replies
97
Views
4K
Gramsci
Gramsci
W
Anti social behaviour in local authority centres
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
tim
tim
A380
Superman launches ‘Anti Feminist’ Children and Family Party.
2
Replies
55
Views
2K
Dogsauce
Dogsauce
Back
Top Bottom