Two Hundred March Against Wirral Cuts
Neon Black (photos by Bazz) | 11.01.2009 21:07 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Liverpool
Wallasey Town Hall: where the magic happens
Cuts and belt tightening don't necessarily go together
Where we were at
In Soviet Russia the public services cuts you! Actually, it was very cold...
Mark O'Brien addresses the crowd in Wallasey
We'll see how good a job they do...
Kids show what they think of Foulkes' idea that library users go Waterstone's
Soon to be closed a lot more, if Foulkes gets his way
Problems with the sound
The event was a slightly odd one, and proved the old saying that 'politics makes for strange bedfellows'. Anarchists marched behind Conservatives, who clapped a Socialist Workers Party speaker (prospective Wallasey and Moreton Tory MP Leah Fraser even briefly held a Unite placard, before presumably thinking better of it). Workers who jobs are faced with the axe were present, along with trade unionists and people from smaller socialist parties. Quite a few children also marched.
At the Birkenhead rally, several speeches were made, and everyone condemned Wirral Council's plan to close twelve libraries - Birkenhead Central Library and many local branches - plus two leisure centres (including Guinea Gap Baths, right next to the Town Hall), Pacific Road Theatre and the Wirral Museum at Birkenhead Town Hall. Labour Council leader Steve Foulkes has pledged "better but fewer" services, and has the support of Lib Dems within his coalition.
During the last week, more than two thousand people have attended the Council's sham 'consultation' meetings, and have overwhelmingly shown their hostility to the cuts. The 'Save Wirral's Services' Facebook group has over three thousand members. Many letters have been written to local papers. In the end however, the decision rests with the Wirral Cabinet, when they meet on Thursday, 15th January.
Nationally, the Conservative Party openly wants to "shrink" the public sector, yet for now the local Tories continue to speak left of Wirral Labour and Lib Dems over the proposed cuts. For their part, the trade union leaders did not propose any industrial action yesterday.
Politics only makes for strange bedfellows so long as each person thinks it's in their interests to snuggle up. After the official political process runs its course, we'll see who's in a committed relationship with who.
For videos of the event, visit:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/adnauseam81
Neon Black (photos by Bazz)
Homepage:
http://dreaming-neon-black.blogspot.com
Additions
Mark O'Brien
12.01.2009 20:45
Organised over the weeks of the Christmas and New Year Holiday period, and against the odds in so many ways, the march was very successful and, as the report on the link below shows, made it onto the national BBC news website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7822912.stm From talking to dozens of people along the route it was clear that our publicity had traveled far and wide. People described having picked up leaflets in school staff rooms, fire stations, post offices, shops, village halls, community centres, train stations, churches and of course at the consultation meetings and the protests outside them. Some also reported having learnt about the march from the various Facebook groups and other internet sources.
The BBC report refers to 'hundreds' marching. The figure was nearer a thousand. The final rally was obviously smaller at no more than two hundred (see the pictures attached). There were two points at which the march hemorrhaged somewhat. The first was at the Seacombe terminal where many Wallasey folk decided, on bitterly cold day that they didn't wish to walk all the way to Hamilton Square in the neighbouring town of Birkenhead. From what I saw this was particularly true of elderly people and families with small children. The second was at the approach to Hamilton Square itself where most people headed straight for the station. Only those on the march will fully appreciate the 'minus-something' weather conditions as having been a factor here. Those who stuck it out to the end of the rally were hardy indeed.
The march I think was at its most numerous on the approach to Seacombe ferry and, at this point, was certainly in the upper hundreds. I have been sent photos by various people and I am attaching a few here. They do convey a sense of the colour and vibrancy of the march and (despite the weather) the bouyant determination of the marchers.
I think we all deserve a pat on the back. Well done everyone!
Mark O'Brien
Mark O'Brien
e-mail:
mtobrien100@hotmail.com
See the march here
15.01.2009 08:20
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ybwGAsxvEnw&feature=channel_page http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ybwGAsxvEnw&feature=channel_page
Mark O'Brien
