Greens join hundreds from Brighton at huge march to ‘End Austerity Now!’

 

Hundreds from Brighton are expected to join tens of thousands nationwide in London for a major anti-austerity demonstration that is expected to take over much of central London tomorrow, Saturday, 20th June.

Organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, the protest will gather outside the Bank of England and then march on Westminster where demonstrators will be addressed by, Caroline Lucas MP, among others.

Two Green councillors, Phélim Mac Cafferty and David Gibson will accompany hundreds of others from Brighton, many traveling on train tickets subsidised from local fund raising. Most will be departing on the 10.05am Brighton to Blackfriars train.

Phélim Mac Cafferty, Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors, said:

“Green Party Councillors from Brighton and Hove are proud to march with trade unionists, environmental and social justice campaigners calling for an end to austerity. Austerity is a lie: there is more than enough money in our society, the question is whose hands it is in.

“The Conservative Government will have cut councils’ funding throughout the country by 40% by the end of the next financial year.

The Local Government Association last week warned that further cuts to council budgets mean opportunities for our unemployed young people will be put severely at risk.[1] £200M will be cut from public health in local government and our council might not be able to…”protect services upon which people rely”.[2]

“This comes on top of the government plan to announce cuts of £12b from welfare, which will hit some of the most vulnerable in our city hardest.

“The richest 1,000 people in this country doubled their wealth in the last 5 years while the majority of people saw their living standards fall. The time has come to say ‘enough is enough.’

“Brighton & Hove Greens are proud to play our part in the movement against cuts and austerity. We are marching knowing that we are part of a national movement which is striking out against the great austerity lie and for a better and fairer society.”

Notes
[1] http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/media-releases/-journal_content/56/10180/7319911/NEWS 
[2] http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/media-releases/-/journal_content/56/10180/7319767/NEWS

March details at The People’s Assembly – http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/calendar

 

News

To top