RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

RUGBY ANTI-CUTS PROTESTERS JOIN CAMPAIGN AGAINST WELFARE REFORM BILL

2012-01-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, members of Rugby Against the Cuts joined campaigners from across Warwickshire to protest against the Welfare Reform Bill which is going through Parliament this very week. “This Bill is trying to make the poor and disabled pay for an economic crisis they did not cause,” Rugby Against the Cuts spokesperson Pete McLaren claimed today. “A number of us from Rugby, including members of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and the Green Party, joined the protest outside the Constituency Office of Leamington MP Chris White. It is his Government which is pushing through these attacks on the Welfare State,” he continued, “and protest organisers ‘Disabled People Against Cuts’ targeted Leamington because it is a Tory marginal.”

“In the event, Chris White cancelled the planned surgery, so we gave in a long letter detailing the adverse effects of the Welfare Bill, including:

Introduction of Universal Credit which will bring compulsory workfare and caps on housing benefit and other payments, leading to increased poverty and homelessness.
Moving people from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance through punitive and unfair compulsory work capability assessments which are carried out by Atos, a ‘private for-profit’ company who are declaring that those who need 24-hour support, and those with terminal cancer, are ‘fit for work’ in order to meet government targets and reduce disabled peoples’ income drastically
The introduction of a much stricter sanctions regime with the loss of benefits for up to 3 years, a risk particularly to people with learning disabilities or mental health needs who find it difficult to cope with the demands of looking for work at the same time as having little prospect of finding any.
Replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) with the explicit aim of cutting entitlement by 20%.”

“The Welfare Reform Bill that Chris White and other Tory and Lib Dem MPs support has suffered a number of defeats in the House of Lords recently as people begin to realize just how draconian these cuts will be. Whilst these cuts are being forced onto the poorest and most vulnerable, the richest people, whose banking friends helped cause the economic crisis, are actually seeing their wealth rise,” he concluded.

NOTES

§ Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) can be contacted at www.dpac.uk.net/

Rugby Against the Cuts was set up by local trade unionists and political activists on September 22^nd. Officers were elected as above
Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the second Thursday of every month, 7.30pm, at the Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
Rugby Against the Cuts can be contacted on 07881 520626, at rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site at http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

PROTEST AT LEAMINGTON TORY MP OFFICES FRIDAY 20TH JAN AT 1PM - DEFEND THE SICK AND DISABLED FROM TORY AND LIB DEM ATTACKS!

2012-01-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Tories and Lib Dem Government was defeated in the Lords last week on cuts to benefits for people with cancer and also general time limits to claim benefit – the CONDEM government intend to ignore this hindrance and go ahead with their plans anyway – its clear this government needs to be put on the spot for such callous action.

Being disabled or seriously ill is not a life style choice unlike owning a yacht or having your home done up at the tax payers expense

Please bring your banners and placards and tell your friends to support this West Midlands protest organised by Disabled People Against Cuts.

As the Tories discuss arbitrarily removing 20% of disabled people from Disability Living Allowance and plan to finalise the introduction of Universal Credit which will lead to massive increases in poverty and homelessness please join us to tell Tory MP Chris White in his very marginal constituency what we think of the Condems policies. Please invite anyone else you know who would like to join us in a protest in Leamington Spa.

JOIN US TO PROTEST AGAINST CUTS TO DISABLED PEOPLE’S BENEFITS AND SERVICES AND THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR NHS ON WHICH ALL OF US WHO ARE NOT MILLIONAIRE POLITICIANS RELY.

SAY “NO” TO THE WELFARE REFORM BILL,THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR WELFARE STATE AND “NO” TO WORKFARE

What Cuts do Disabled People Face?

▼Closure of the Independent Living Fund supporting those with high support needs, proving that the government’s rhetoric of supporting disabled people is as empty as their souls

▼Movement from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance through punitive and unfair compulsory Work Capability Assessments carried out by Atos, a private for-profit company who are declaring those who need 24-hour support and those with terminal cancer ‘fit for work’ in order to meet government targets and reduce disabled peoples’ income drastically

▼VAT increases and benefit rates linked to CPI not RPI which is likely to cost disabled people an extra £800 per annum.

▼Cuts to social care budgets, cuts to housing support, cuts to Access to Work programme (helping disabled people with any equipment they might need to compete on an equal basis with non disabled employees), constant attacks on disabled peoples’ integrity by the Tories and others suggesting we’re not really disabled but ‘just pretending’ to get meagre benefits which they’re going to abolish anyway.

Where – LEAMINGTON SPA, WARWICKSHIRE

At CHRIS WHITE, MP’s office, 43a CLEMENS STREET, OLD TOWN, CV31 2DP, not far from railway station.

When – Friday, JANUARY 20^th, meet outside constituency office at 1pm.

www.dpac.uk.net, mail@dpac.uk.net, http://twitter.com/Dis_PPL_Protest

Show your support for the strike - by visiting local pickets lines!

2011-11-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Rugby college staff will be having picket Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and we expect other public sector workers to be picketing as well - please show your support.

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

ALL OUT ON NOVEMBER 30^th IN SUPPORT OF PENSIONS, JOBS AND OUR SERVICES!

The attack on pensions is yet another attempt to cut public spending. The 3% increase in pension contributions is to pay back the country’s deficit not to fund pensions. The attack on pensions is yet another ideological attack on workers and our public services. The ConDems are happy to see the rich receiving bumper pay rises and massive pensions. The rich created a budget deficit and then expect the workers to pick up the tab!

The economic crisis was not caused by workers in the public or private sector

Public sector workers are being asked to pay an extra £3 billion per year in pension contributions: the Government cancelled the banker’s bonus tax that raised almost the same amount

The Con Dem government wants to make people pay more and work longer for less pay and smaller pensions
Ministers are imposing unfair changes without meaningful negotiation
Most public sector workers are modestly or low paid and public sector pay has been frozen despite inflation of 5%

SUPPORT PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS ON NOVEMBER 30^th

* Early morning workplace pickets – see http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/

* 10.15am Cathedral Steps, Priory Street Coventry March/Rally

* 12 noon TUC March through Birmingham - Assemble Lionel

St/Livery St car park

* 1.30pm Rally with TUC Gen Sec Brendan Barber and others

National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

* 7.30pm NSSN Public Meeting to reflect on the day ‘Building on

Nov 30’ Methodist Central Hall, Coventry

PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS ARE NOT NEEDED OR WANTED

Governments throughout the world are trying to make the poor pay for the global economic crisis. The Con/Dem Coalition is pushing through massive cuts to public services of between 25% and 40%, coupled with horrendous attacks on those unable to work, with little or no opposition from Labour. It has been estimated that the poor will be 10% worse off, and the wealthy just 3%, as a result

The cuts, locally and nationally, will mean

Closure of the Youth Service across Warwickshire
Fewer buses, and higher fares on public transport
Closures of fire stations, as we have already seen in Warwickshire
Further privatisation, meaning we have to pay for our services
Fewer doctors, nurses, teachers and fire fighters
Wage cuts for those who remain in work
Huge rise in unemployment as public sector workers are sacrificed
Thousands being forced off benefits although no new jobs exist

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO REMOVE THE DEBT

· The banks could repay the £850 billion given to them by the

Government to bail them out - £850 billion that could be spent on

public services

· There could be a 5% wealth tax on the richest 10% which, alone,

would resolve the debt

· There is £120 billion per year of unpaid tax that the rich avoid

paying or evade – this could be reclaimed immediately

· The banks and building societies, which continue to make

massive profits, could be nationalised and run by the

people for the people, with profits used to maintain and

improve our public services

WHY SHOULD WORKERS AND THE POOR PAY FOR A CRISIS THEY DID NOT CREATE?

Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the 2^nd Thursday of each month, 7.30pm, The Three Horse Shoes, Sheep St

ALL OUT IN SUPPORT OF PENSIONS, JOBS AND OUR SERVICES - 30TH NOVEMBER!

2011-11-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

An estimated 3 million workers will be on strike against the CONDEM Government attacks on pensions, jobs and our services. Other workers such as nurses, firefighters, police officers and the Trade Union movement as a whole will also be supporting the protest against the 'race to the bottom' in respect of pensions and services.

Rugby Against the Cuts fully supports workers in our town taking action by visiting picket lines and attending the marches and rallys taking place.

* 10.15am Cathedral Steps, Priory Street Coventry March/Rally

* 12 noon TUC March through Birmingham - Assemble Lionel

St/Livery St car park

* 1.30pm Rally with TUC Gen Sec Brendan Barber and others

National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

Midlands TUC are organising a march and rally in Birmingham to coincide with the TUC’s national day of action for Pensions Justice onWednesday 30th November, involving up to 20 unions and 3 million workers.

March: 11.30am assembly Lionel Street (B3 1DG)

Rally: 1.30pm National Indoor Arena (doors open 12.30pm)

Speakers:

CHAIR: Lee Barron, CWU Midlands Regional Secretary & Midlands TUC Chair
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary
Kevin Courtney, NUT Deputy General Secretary
Janice Godrich, PCS President
Karen Jennings, Unison Assistant General Secretary
Martin Johnson, ATL Deputy General Secretary
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary
Barry Lovejoy, UCU Head of Further Education
Joe Morgan, GMB West Midlands Regional Secretary
Tony Woodley, UNITE Executive Officer

Thousands mark end of Jarrow March

2011-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 3,000 joined the Jarrow marchers in London to celebrate the end of the 330 mile march. There was overwhelming support from the crowd who had travelled from all over the country. Coaches of workers, students, pensioners and unemployed people arrived at Embankment. We were even joined by 106 year old Hetty Bower who had welcomed the original marchers when they arrived in London 75 years ago. Hundreds clapped and cheered the lively demonstration into Trafalgar Sq. Trade unionists, campaigners and marchers supported the marchers from the platform of the rallies.

The Jarrow marchers would like to thank everyone who has helped make the march a success and supported the march in anyway. The march is over but the fightback against the Con-Dems and their cuts has only just begun. We hope to see you all at the Youth Fight for Jobs meetings around the country over the next few weeks and on the picket lines and demonstrations to support the strikes on 30 November.

JOIN THE JARROW MARCHERS NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON 5TH NOVEMBER

2011-11-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

After marching 330 miles the Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in London. Following in the footsteps of the 1936 Jarrow marchers who walked to London against unemployment.

Assemble Temple Place on Embankment 12noon!

Come and join the end demostration and rally in Trafalgar Square.

Speakers Include:

Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary
Bob Crow RMT General Secretary
Paul Murphy MEP Socialist Party Ireland
Lizi Gray Great-grandaughter of 1936 marcher
Stephen Hepburn MP for Jarrow
US Occupy Wall Street Activist
Jarrow marchers
Day-Mer Youth
Socialist Party
Young Deacon performing his rap about the riots called ‘Failed by the System’
Ed Marsh NUS
London Slutwalk Activist
Maddy Carty performing her track ‘CONDEMn AGE’
Dennis Skinner MP for Bolsover
+ More!

Join the facebook event!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=223703481020168

Book you place on the coach from Coventry!

This Saturday the march ends in London, and coaches are booked from across the country. There is a bus from the Coventry and Warwickshire area. We would encourage as many trade unionists as possible to attend this.

Meet at the Sports Centre in Cov, 9am. It is £4 waged, and £2 unwaged.
Ring Lenny on 07530 429441 to book.
Marcher’s Diary – Day 25

Coventry to Rugby

On our journey to Coventry we passed; two closed down Peugeot factories, a closed Marconi site and a closed GEC building. This is a huge amount of jobs lost to a small area, jobs which are badly needed. We also passed a local Tory council; chanting and singing “if you hate the torys” we definitely made our presence known. we had lunch at the Sheath and Sickle pub where we had a brilliant reception and there were journalists there to meet us. When we got Rugby we had a rally in the town centre hosted by the local anti cuts group,Rugby Against the Cuts. The speakers were fantastic; Martin Powell Davies – NUT, Peter – TUSC, Roy – Green Party, Lenny Shail – Socialist Party and Matt Whale and Alex Moore from the march. We then walked down to the Griffin pub where tea had been put on for us by the RMT. After discussion and drinks we went back to supporters houses to sleep. Thanks to Lorna for putting me up, had some great conversation. Also thanks to her son, Paul and her neices and nephews who drew the marchers some pictures of the march. Everyone loved them

Rugby Observer report on the Jarrow March in Rugby

2011-10-26T08:04:00.001-07:00

Jarrow Marchers protest in Rugby

Buy photos» The Jarrow Marchers take to the streets of Rugby. 43.011.039.rug.jg4

Dan Santy

26 October. Updated: 26 October 12:47

THE JARROW Marchers rolled into Rugby this week protesting against the Government's handling of the continuing economic slump.
Around 50 marchers - recreating the famous 300 mile protest of 1936 from the north east to London against poverty and unemployment - arrived in the town centre yesterday (Tuesday).
They marched and protested against the Government's handling of rising unemployment, with local trade unionists and socialist political groups backing them.
The marchers first arrived at the Sheaf and Sickle pub in Long Lawford for lunch before a rally at the clock tower.
Tonight (Wednesday), the marchers will attend an anti-cuts meeting at which railway and maritime workers union leader Bob Crow will address them. It takes place at the United Railway Club on Railway Terrace.

Buy photos» Rugby Green party leader Roy Sandison speaking out against Government cuts. 43.011.039.rug.jg2Buy photos» A young protester with the Jarrow Marchers. 43.011.039.rug.jg3The Jarrow Marchers in Rugby. 43.011.039.rug.jg5www.therugbyobserver.co.uk/

2011-10-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

MARCH WITH THE JARROW MARCHERS IN RUGBY ON TUESDAY 25TH OCTOBER

http://jarrowmarch11.com/

The excellent initiative to draw attention to the plight of young people, The Jarrow - London March organised by the Youth Fight For Jobs will be visiting Rugby on the way to London on Tuesday 25th October.

The march has been enthusiastically received by all the communities it has visited and we must do the same in Rugby!

Rugby Green Party members will be meeting the marchers, with our excellent new banner at the Sheaf and Sickle Pub, in Long Lawford and taking part in the march into Rugby at 2pm for the rally at 3pm.

PLEASE COME ALONG AND SHOW SUPPORT!

TUES OCT 25 1 pm MEET MARCHERS AT SHEAF & SICKLE, LONG LAWFORD

2pm MARCH INTO RUGBY

2pm STALL AT CLOCK TOWER (Yes we need to do both at same time)

3pm RALLY AT CLOCK TOWER

About the Campaign;

Youth Fight for Jobs, a campaigning organisation, is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October 2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment. Today, as unemployment and youth unemployment soars, the ConDem coalition is axing jobs and services; this new campaign is absolutely vital.

On the Jarrow March we are demanding:

A massive government scheme to create jobs which are socially useful and apprenticeships which offer guaranteed jobs at the end – both paying at least the minimum wage, with no youth exemptions.
The immediate reinstatement of EMA payments, expanding them to be available to all 16-19 year olds. Scrap university fees, for free high quality education.
The immediate re-opening of all youth services that have been closed, including reinstating sacked staff.
The scrapping of ‘workfare’ schemes – benefits should be based on need not forced slave labour.
A massive building programme of environmentally sound, cheap social housing.

2011-10-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

JARROW - LONDON YOUTH MARCH COMES TO RUGBY ON TUES 25TH OCTOBER

2011-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Photo by Paul Mattsson - Socialist Party
As youth Unemployment reaches the sky high figure of over 1 million. Rugby Anti Cuts campaigners will be welcoming the Youth Fight for Jobs march from Jarrow to London - which was a path followed by working class people protesting back in the 1930's against mass unemployment and poverty on Tuesday 25th October - Come and show your support!
(More details soon)

Interview with a Jarrow marcher

Matt Whale was interviewed on the BBC, see below. Photo Paul Mattsson

Matt Whale, unemployed organiser for Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) spoke to the Socialist about the Jarrow march as it passes through Yorkshire. See below for how to join and support the march.

How's the Jarrow march going?

Brilliant! On Saturday 8 October we had two demos. Hull's second on the youth unemployment statistics and has been near the top for the past two years since YFJ was set up.

We thought it was vital we had a presence in the city. Plus BAE Systems proposed cuts of just under 1,000 jobsin Brough, just outside Hull, threatening the end of manufacturing industry there.

The private sector was supposed to pick up the slack of the public sector cuts - according to the Con-Dems - this is clearly not true.

Cameron says we're going to 'sell to the world' but that's not possible if they're cutting back on manufacturing.

We've got a very simple message and that's nationalise the BAE plant and bring it under democratic working class control so they can carry on building what they think's right.

When approached, the BAE workers completely backed the Jarrow march and agreed to organise a joint demo under the YFJ banner.

About 700-800 people turned out including BAE workers, Jarrow marchers, local authority workers and local people.

It was a great demo through the city with a lot of people applauding us and lots of press coverage.

There was also a demo of about 200 in Leeds which challenged the racist EDL. These racist bigots only want to divide working class communities along arbitrary racial and religious lines, at a time when we need to be more united them ever.

What's the Jarrow march abouted to highlight the issues facing young people. Youth unemployment is officially about to go over a million but if we include people, for example, who are on zero-hour contracts who sometimes get absolutely no hours in a week, then you can see that unemployment is absolutely horrendous for young people, as is underemployment.

Behind the official figures are also the numbers on apprenticeships that don't pay the minimum wage, people who don't know their rights who aren't getting overtime payments or who are working through breaks they're legally entitled to have.

We want massive investment in a programme of socially useful job creation. That would mean reversing all the cuts to youth services, creating green jobs and building houses.

That would also provide much-needed homes to address homelessness and over-crowding. You've got oversubscription in schools - why don't we have more teachers, why can't we create smaller classes? More doctors, more nurses, put the training in place for people to do the jobs that people want to do so they can actually feel 'socially useful'. Don't throw them on the scrapheap.

We want the re-instatement of EMA payments for all 16 to 19 year old students. To meet training needs we also need real apprenticeships on trade union-agreed rates of pay.

Higher education should be free, not a privilege for the rich or a source of crippling debt.

Another demand is an end to workfare schemes which are basically slave labour. If a job needs doing then a job should be paid for. It shouldn't be used to undercut the current workforce.

Can these demands be met?

We're under no illusions that we'll get to London and all of a sudden the Con-Dem government will reverse its policies and create jobs and become supporters of working class people.

What we want to do is become a rallying point for young people and the anti-cuts movement linking with the trade unions and those going into struggle in the coming weeks and months.

We want to have young people and workers united to fight back against this government.

We've been very successful in that already in the first week of the march. With AEI cables workers in Birtley and then with BAE in Brough, YFJ is taking a lead in uniting young people and workers in struggle and that's how we'll bring about our demands.

Is there support for your demands?

On the route all that I've heard so far is positive feedback from the public as we pass through the towns and cities, saying good on you for having a go and we support you 100%.

At an inspirational meeting in Darlington a public sector worker got up and said 'you're representing not only yourselves but also the working class'. It's those sorts of acts of solidarity that have really inspired the marchers so far.

But a Tory MP has had a go at the marchers, saying people are dropping out and you're not up for the task.

Of course the more marchers we have the better and we want more people to join us. I'd love to invite that Mr 'Goodwill', MP for Scarborough, down to do a leg of the march or even more.

Maybe he can help fund the march by taking some of the £145,000 of expenses he claimed in 2008 to actually fight for a future for young people.

And if 'not being up for it' means organising two demos over a weekend with around 1,000 workers and youth involved - then they've got us bang to rights! But the Tories have undoubtedly been briefed against us - it's their policies we're attacking.

Iain Duncan Smith, Tory work and pensions minister, who we're going to visit in his constituency on 4 November, is going on about making 'work pay'.

Well, if they want to make work pay that's brilliant - but where are the jobs? I don't know any unemployed person who doesn't want a job.

When I was unemployed for eight months it was really depressing not being able to find work.

Living in Hull where there are 83 people going for every job, that means there are 82 people who won't get the job.

Benefits are there as the bare minimum to allow people to survive. We don't want to see a return to Victorian times when there were people dying on the street because people couldn't afford to feed themselves.

What would you like to see the march achieve?

Well I'd like to see big demonstrations in every town and city we go through and a big demo at the end on 5 November in London.

The march is a good way of inspiring young people to fight back. We're informing people about the history of the original march, with the tagline 'no return to the 1930s'.

We're saying that prevention's better than the cure in this situation. We're also linking in with workers going into struggle.

I want to see YFJ speakers and representatives linking up with the trade unions to a) unionise young workers and b) to support them in the public sector general strike over pensions on 30 November.

And I want YFJ representatives speaking on every platform about the plight of young people, growing the campaign, growing the movement and eventually having a campaign that's capable of toppling this government.

As they see their lecturers and teachers go out on strike, fighting for their jobs and futures, I think last year's student movement will be re-ignited.

Whether it's in the same way as last year is debatable but students have a history of being one of the first groups to fight back.

As someone who was unemployed I was involved in the occupation at Hull University. I saw it as my future being affected as well as those at the university.

It's absolutely vital that young people are linked together in a common struggle because there is a common enemy - this system that bails out banks and chucks us on the scrapheap.

But all we hear about is the deficit. How can we afford this?

The banks got bailed out and the bankers got their bonuses but working class people face cuts. You've got unpaid tax of £120 billion a year according to the PCS union.

Only one year of collecting this would make the plans for four years of cuts unnecessary. So when we're told that our aims aren't achievable we know that's absolutely rubbish.

The truth is that the money's there in society - it's just in the hands of a few rather than in the hands in the many.

Support the fightback! March and donate

Join the march!

Young people and supporters are welcome to join the march for any amount of time between now and 5 November.

Public support has been massive but they still need financial support to cover the costs of the march. Can you or your trade union branch sponsor the march?

See the Jarrow blog for information, daily updates, details of where the march is going, events en route and how to donate.

www.jarrowmarch11.com

5 November - national demonstration and rally

For jobs, education and a future

Assemble 12 noon at Embankment for the final leg of the Jarrow March

We will hand in a petition to Downing Street followed by a rally in Trafalgar Square

Speakers include:

Jarrow Marchers; Bob Crow, RMT general secretary; Matt Wrack, FBU, general secretary; Paul Murphy, MEP (Socialist Party Ireland); Lizi Gray, descendant of 1936 marcher; Stephen Hepburn, Jarrow MP; Young Deacon, rapper performing his track about the riots called 'Failed by the System'; Ed Marsh, NUS VP union development; Day-Mer Youth speaker

www.jarrowmarch11.com

TUC March and Rally - Manchester for the Alternative - Sunday 2nd Oct

2011-09-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Date: Sunday 2 October
Assemble 12 noon Liverpool Road (off Deansgate)

This year the Conservative Party are having their annual Conference in Manchester and the TUC is organising a march and rally to show opposition to the Coalition Government's disastrous policies of pay freezes, cuts and attacks on public services that are producing rising unemployment, cuts in living standards and stagnation. The march will also show the support for The Alternative. We need jobs, growth and justice for a sustainable future and this event will send that message loud and clear.

Coaches from .......

Stourbridge - Dudley - Wolverhampton ........01384 813875

Sandwell - Walsall ..........07952 647479 or 0121 567 5446

Birmingham ............07904 960442

Coventry Trades Council ........ 07799 340 559

European Conference Against Austerity & Privatisation

2011-09-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Three years ago the world economy stood on a precipice. Collapse was only averted by a vast bank rescue package. In Europe the sum ran to trillions of pounds. This proved to be no answer to the crisis but poured yet more wealth into the pockets of the rich and led to the sovereign debt crisis. Governments throughout Europe and beyond now propose a single solution – draconian austerity measures that threaten the livelihoods of millions of ordinary people. And indeed millions oppose this policy, which will not bring economic recovery but recession. To address this crisis on a basis that meets the real needs of the peoples of Europe, we will be meeting in London on 1 October at the Europe Against Austerityconference to discuss an alternative economic and political strategy.

Jeremy Corbyn MP Lab, Islington North,

Len McCluskey Unite,

Pierre Laurent Party of the European Left,
Sevim Dagdelen Die Linke,
Annick Coupe Solidaires,
Prof Walter Baier Austria,
Elisabeth Gauthier Transform Europe,
Felipe Van Keirsbilck European Joint Social Conference,
Hugo Braun Attac,
Piero Bernocchi Cobas,
Prof Costas Lapavitsas Soas,
Andrew Burgin Coalition of Resistance

SICK TORIES ATTACK THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN!

2011-09-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

DEMOCRACY NOT IN EVIDENCE AT LIB DEMS CONFERENCE AS GREEN ACTIVIST IS JAILED FOR HANGING A BANNER!

2011-09-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

There is a protest on Monday from 3pm outside Birmingham Magistrates Court in support of Edd Bauer who used to be involved in Birmingham University Young Greens and is now a sabbatical officer of the Student Union.

Edd is in prison for the crime of hanging a banner that could be seen by motorists on Broad St just before the start of the Lib Dem Conference. The crime is said to be a "road traffic offence" but the prosecution said his act was not dangerous. He was denied bail as he has a previous offence of sitting down on the floor in Fortnum and Mason. Being denied bail is thought to be unprecedented. The 2 others with Edd at the time were granted bail but banned from Birmingham city centre for over a month.

At 3pm on Monday he will see his next bail hearing at Bham Magistrates Court. Anyway wishing to protest in solidarity, meet in front of the magistrates Court on Corporation St at 3pm.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159569750798811

http://brightgreenscotland.org/index.php/2011/09/solidarity-demo-for-imprisoned-activist-edd-bauer/

SAVE THE NHS - WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON'T FIGHT!

2011-09-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Email: mark.pawsey.mp@parliament.uk Telephone No Rugby Office: 01788 579499

Write to: Mark Pawsey MP Albert Buildings 2 Castle Mews Rugby WARKS CV21 2XL

CV21 2XL

NHS EXPERT LEGAL ADVICE

Earlier in the summer, 3,652 38 Degrees members from across the UK donated to pay for a legal team to get to the bottom of Andrew Lansley's plans for our NHS.

For the last two months our independent legal team has been hard at work examining the government's NHS plans.

This page summarises all they've found - it's grim reading. If you want to find out more you can download the entire legal advice in the right hand column. Once you've read it don't forget to email your MP and urge them to take action to save our NHS

BACKGROUND

In July 2011, 38 Degrees members donated to fund independent legal advice on the implications of the government's proposals to change the NHS in England. 38 Degrees engaged Harrison Grant solicitors and the specialist barristers Stephen Cragg and Rebecca Haynes to give their legal opinions on two aspects of the Health and Social Care Bill: The removal of Secretary of State for Health’s Duty to provide or secure provision of NHS services and the impact of competition and procurement law on the NHS.

This document summarises some key findings. The full legal opinions and executive summaries are available to download in the right-hand column.

1. REMOVING THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S DUTY TO PROVIDE

What our lawyers have identified within the Health and Social Care Bill:

The bill will remove the duty of the Secretary of State to provide or secure the provision of health services which has been a common and critical feature of all previous NHS legislation since 1946. This is the means by which Parliament ensures the NHS delivers what the public want and expect. Furthermore, a “hands-off clause” will severely curtail the Secretary of State's ability to influence the delivery of NHS care to ensure everyone receives the best healthcare possible.

What this could all mean:

No longer a National Health Service

The duty, that Parliament has given the Health Secretary, for ensuring that the NHS provides the service that people need will be lost and the NHS will from here on in simply be little more than a series of quasi-independent commissioning entities and providers, basically free to get on with the job

Loss of Accountability – The Government washes its hands of the NHS

Removing the Secretary of State’s legal duty to provide or secure provision of health services, and introducing a "hands-off clause", significantly reduces democratic accountability for the NHS. The responsibility for securing the provision of healthcare services will lie with unelected commissioners who will only be accountable to an unelected national quango. The bill will make it impossible for the Secretary of State to direct that certain services are available and difficult for the Secretary of State to step in if these groups deliver poor healthcare to the local community. These changes would shift the main responsibility to unelected officials, representatives of private companies and GPs.

Loss of Accountability – Local representatives and health watchdogs lose their right to appeal

Because the Government is removing the Secretary of State’s duty to ensure the NHS delivers an appropriate service, appeals from locally elected council bodies and health watchdogs will no longer be decided by the Secretary of State but – if any rights of appeal survive – by a national quango.

Postcode lottery

Because of changes in the bill there is a real risk of an increase in the “postcode lottery” nature of the delivery of some NHS services. The power to choose what health services are closed or improved in a local area will be passed on to local unelected bodies with little scope for the government to intervene. This will mean patients can no longer expect the government to ensure a consistent level of healthcare regardless of where they live.

2. OPENING THE NHS UP TO COMPETITION LAW

What our lawyers have identified within the Health and Social Care Bill:

The Bill contains a number of measures which will increase competition within the NHS at the expense of collaboration and integration and/or make it almost inevitable that UK and EU competition law will apply as if it were a utility like gas or telecoms. This includes:

giving Monitor the duty to eliminate so-called “anti-competitive” behaviour
removing the limit on the amount of income NHS hospitals can earn from private health services
handing significant new procurement responsibilities to the new Clinical Commissioning Groups
permitting these new groups to outsource commissioning work to private companies
writing additional rules on competition into the law and making Monitor enforce them

What this could all mean:

Exposing the NHS to UK and EU Competition Law

Taken together, these changes increase the likelihood of NHS services being found by the courts to fall within the scope of UK and EU competition law. The likelihood of this is further increased by other government NHS policies, for example the extension, announced in July 2011, of the right of Any Qualified Provider to be given a contract to deliver health services.

Costly and complex procurement procedures

The new commissioning groups will be subject to EU procurement rules whenthey commission local health services. This is likely to be costly, given the likely larger numbers of commissioning groups as compared to PCTs now and our Counsel warns that it appears the government have not planned for this significant increase in cost. Furthermore, it is not clear that the commissioning groups have the necessary procurement expertise to deal with the complex procurement process and to avoid legal action from disgruntled private healthcare providers. This could mean that the NHS ends up spending a lot of time and money fighting legal action instead of investing in patient care. Or worse, it could mean they are reluctant to commission any services for fear of being sued.

Fertile ground for private health companies (and their lawyers)

Companies that bid unsuccessfully for NHS contracts will be able to challenge commissioning decisions in the courts. Private health providers have far more expertise and legal capacity than either public bodies or charities, and so are likely to be best placed to exploit these laws. Litigation could be time-consuming and costly for commissioning bodies.

Opening our NHS to private companies - privatisation by stealth

These plans will lead to a system geared heavily in favour of private companies. The legislation does not currently contain measures to stop:

private companies being contracted to provide commissioning services to consortia and therefore profiting from spending multi-million-pound health budgets
private companies poaching services in a way which undermines the ability of the NHS to deliver essential services like Intensive Care Units, A&E, emergency cover, teaching, training and research.

Email your MP now:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/email-the-evidence

The Secretary of State’s legal duty to provide a health service will be scrapped. On top of that, a new “hands-off clause” removes the government's powers to oversee local consortia and guarantee the level of service wherever we live. We can expect increases in postcode lotteries – and less ways to hold the government to account if the service deteriorates.

The NHS will almost certainly be subject to UK and EU competition law and the reach of procurement rules will extend across all NHS commissioners. Private health companies will be able to take new NHS commissioning groups to court if they don’t win contracts. Scarce public money could be tied up in legal wrangles instead of hospital beds. Meanwhile, the legislation lifts the cap on NHS hospitals filling beds with private patients.

So who are MPs going to listen to when casting their vote – you, or lobbyists from private health companies? This is our NHS, and it’s up to us to defend it. Email your MP now:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/email-the-evidence

UPDATE: It’s starting to work – this morning’s papers are reporting that key government MPs will refuse to vote for the government’s dangerous NHS plans.

That’s great news – and it comes after tens of thousands of us emailed our MPs. But more pressure is needed. Can you forward the email below to all your contacts and ask them to email their MP as well?

The crunch vote is on Tuesday. Many MPs are still making their mind up. So please forward this email to all your friends and family today - let them know how quick and easy it is to email your MP and tell them to vote to save the NHS

JOIN THE LOBBY OF THE TUC FOR A 24hr PUBLIC SECTOR GENERAL STRIKE!

2011-08-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Rugby Against the Cuts campaign are supporting the forthcoming lobby of the TUC on the 11th September by the National Shop Stewards Network to call for a 24hr Public Sector General Strike to defend jobs and our services.

Details for the coach from Coventry going to the NSSN organised lobby of the TUC have now been confirmed. Bob Crow (RMT) and Mark Serwotka (PCS) will be among the speakers at the rally before our march to the TUC to demand action.

It will leave at 10.30am on Sunday 11th September, Fairfax St. (Get there 10.15)

Tickets will be very cheap £5 waged, £2 concessions. Tel: 07938 948629 to book a place

This will be a very important gathering for the trade union movement, make sure you are there so the TUC is left in no uncertain terms that the rank and file of the unions are demanding they co-ordinate action. A good rally will also give support to the likes of Crow and Serwotka who will no doubt continue to argue for co-ordinated action within the TUC.

Further leaflets and a petition to be used in your workplace or community can be found here http://www.shopstewards.net/

RAGE AGAINST CLEGG AND THE LIB DEMS 18TH SEPTEMBER IN BIRMINGHAM

2011-08-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Liberal Democrats are holding their annual conference at the ICC in Birmingham this year, and there will be a demonstration on Sunday 18th.
The demo has been called by Midlands TUC and Right to Work, and is being supported by all the anti-cuts groups in the West Midlands, including anti-cuts groups in Birmingham, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Shropshire, North Staffs, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby and Worcester.
TUC and Right to Work are currently arranging the route of the march, and initially talks have made it clear that the march will go past the ICC and through Birmingham City Centre, but the exact route needs to be finalised.
The assembly point has provisionally been set at Moor Street Train Station, for 12 noon.
7,000 people came to Birmingham for the Tory conference march on a rainy October saturday. 10,000 people went to Sheffield for the Lib Dem spring conference in March. We can get even more to Birmingham for this demonstration.

Captain SKA - Slipping Back In Time

2011-07-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Birmingham Public Sector Demo

2011-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

June 30 solidarity call out: Support the strike! Stop the cuts! UK Uncut

2011-06-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

2011-06-29T04:14:00.001-07:00

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

Convenor and Press Officer: Pete McLaren pete.mclaren@virgin.net 07881 520626

Treasurer: Julie Weekes Trade Union Liaison: Roy Sandison; Martin Eversfield

PRESS RELEASE For immediate use June 28th 2011

SUPPORT FOR STRIKING PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS

Rugby Against the Cuts today announced its full support for public sector workers on strike this Thursday, June 30^th. Spokesperson Pete McLaren explained, “The teachers, civil servants and college lecturers on strike to protect their pensions mark the beginning of a concerted fightback by the labour movement against the Con Dem plans to decimate public services. Calls by Labour leaders not to go on strike are a disgrace, and will be ignored. Public sector workers did not cause the economic crisis, so why should they pay for it? Those who did cause the crisis – bankers and Government Ministers - get massive pensions, which are not under attack, whilst the average public sector pension is just £80 per week. We already have 2.5 million pensioners who can not afford to adequately heat their homes – the current pension proposals would put a further one million pensioners into poverty, which is outrageous. Is that the kind of society we want to bring our next generations into?” he asked.

The Treasurer of Rugby Against the Cuts Julie Weekes, who, like Pete McLaren, stood as a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate in the May Council elections, is a member of the University and College Union (UCU). She outlined why she would be on strike. “The Government want us to pay more, work longer and then get a lower pension. Pensions are deferred pay, so in effect we are being asked to accept a pay cut. The joint action will send a clear message to the Government about the level of opposition to its proposals. We oppose this cut as we oppose all public sector cuts.”

Fellow Rugby Against the Cuts member and TUSC candidate Clive Dunkley is a member of the National Union of Teachers which voted 92% in favour of the strike. “The Government wants to raise our pension contributions by over 50%”, he explained. “At the same time it is planning to force all teachers to work until they are 68 for a reduced annual pension. How will this help provide jobs for the growing number of young unemployed? Like all public sector cuts, the attack on our pensions is simply to pay off the bankers’ gambling debts – whilst the bankers and their friends who got us into this mess get away with £billions in unpaid taxes.”

“The Government will try and divide public and private sector workers, but they will not succeed,” Pete McLaren concluded. “It is a scandal that many private sector companies have already slashed their pension schemes – and that so many pensioners struggle in poverty. The Government should be acting on this, not cutting public sector pensions,” he added.

DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS AND OUR SERVICES - DEMONSTRATION IN COVENTRY 30TH JUNE

2011-06-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

2011-06-23T07:38:00.001-07:00

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS SUPPORTS STRIKES ON 30TH JUNE TO DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS , SAVE SERVICES

2011-06-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

Letter sent to local Trade Unionists

DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS. SAVE SERVICES

Rugby Against The Cuts would like to offer our support to all workers taking strike action on the 30^th June to defend pensions, jobs and our services
.

Workers don’t take strike action without good reason and this is definitely the case on the 30^th June, with a CONDEM Government so determined to decimate public services and make us pay for the bankers gambling debts.

Rugby Against The Cuts was formed in September 2010, to bring together local trade unions, community campaigners and progressive political groups to fight the cuts and also offer solidarity and act as a material local resource for ordinary working people.

Therefore, as well as offering our formal support to those in the forthcoming strike, could we please urge other workers and their Trade Unions to pass on messages of solidarity by email to those taking strike action of the 30^th June and also attend the local rallies that are taking place in Birmingham, Coventry and else where in the West Midlands.

Rugby Against The Cuts members will also try to visit as many picket lines in Rugby as possible on the day itself to show community support for the strike – so please provide any details of local action to add to our list by emailing rugbyagainsthecuts@googlemail.com.

For those Trade Unions taking action on the day, please note, since our formation, we have been able to provide local press contacts (we get very good publicity in Rugby) to local Trade Unionists and also offer a chance to network with other Trade Unions and community groups – so please do not hesitate to get in contact, if you think we could be useful in this area.

In Solidarity

Roy Sandison

Trade Union Liaison Officer – Rugby Against The Cuts

ANTI CUTS GROUP VOICES ITS OPPOSITION TO CUTS IN LOCAL BUS SERVICES

2011-06-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Press Release - Save our Buses from Tory Cuts

Rugby Against the Cuts expressed outrage today at the cuts to local bus services which come into effect on Sunday (June 19^th). “These cuts being made by Stagecoach are as a direct result of the withdrawal of funding by Warwickshire County Council for socially desirable but not always economical evening bus services,” Rugby against the Cuts spokesperson Pete McLaren claimed. “They are a direct result of Tory cuts. Public transport is a service like other public services, and should not be run to make profits. Some routes and times are bound to be used more than others, but that does not mean any of them should be scrapped. A large number of people depend on public transport, including those without cars, the elderly, the poor and those with disabilities - in particular people who live in rural areas and have no other means of transport.”

TAX THE RICH INSTEAD OF CUTTING OUR SERVICES!

“These cuts to our bus services are yet another example of how public spending cuts disproportionately hit those with low incomes. They are less likely to be able to afford to run a car, especially with petrol so expensive at present. Only last month, the Sunday Times ‘Rich List 2011’ showed that the top 1,000 multimillionaires are £60 billion better off than they were 12 months ago. They now have wealth totaling £395,765 billion – they will not need public transport! Just like when a library, youth club or care home closes, it is the poor that suffer the most.”

WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING GREEN?

Rugby Against the Cuts member Liz Peck is a regular user of public transport. “The cuts to these evening services will make it very difficult and much more expensive for me to get around, “ she explained. “I do not have a car, and I use the No 4 and No 86 buses in particular to visit family and friends and for social reasons. People travel to and from work by bus. We are supposed to be encouraging greater use of public transport to help combat climate change, and these cuts will make that even less likely. The real effect of public sector cuts are only just beginning to be felt, and I dread to think what the next 12 months will bring.”

All IN IT TOGETHER?

“We do not think ordinary working people should be made to pay for a crisis they did not cause,” Pete McLaren continued. “There is plenty of money floating around as the Rich List shows, more than enough to overturn our economic deficit and then maintain and develop our public services, including public transport. It is all about political decisions, and the three main Parties have all decided to make the poor pay for the crisis. So much for Government leaders suggesting ‘We are all in it together,’ he concluded.

Coalition of Resistance National Members and Delegates Conference

2011-06-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Coalition of Resistance National Members and Delegates Conference takes place on Saturday 9 July, 10am-5pm, at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London, WC1E (nearest station: Euston).

With top speakers, resolutions, workshops, and discussion, we will plan the way forwards in the fight against austerity and privatisation. All CoR supporters should register for the conference and encourage union branches, student unions, anti-cuts groups, and campaign groups to send delegates.

Saturday, July 9 · 10:00am - 5:00pm - University of London Union, Malet Street, London

Registration costs are as follows:
Individual member £5 waged/£3 unwaged
Organisation (up to 3 delegates) £15
Observer £10 waged/£5 unwaged
Combined CoR membership and registration £18 waged/£7 unwaged

Send name, organisation (if applicable), email, postal address, and cheque to:
CoR Membership, c/o Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX.

Resolutions must be submitted by 24 June: email them to coalitionofresistance@mail.com

YOUTH FIGHT FOR JOBS MARCH COMING TO RUGBY ON 26TH OCT 2011

2011-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

LEADING RUGBY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNER SPEAKS AT MAJOR TRADE UNION CONFERENCE

2011-05-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Rugby Advertiser May 19th 2011

ANTI CUTS CANDIDATES MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT

2011-05-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
Rugby Against the Cuts promoted anti cuts candidates across Rugby in last week’s Council Election. “To co-ordinate candidates across all 16 wards was unique,” Rugby Against the Cuts spokesperson Pete McLaren said today. “We gained 2,314 votes in total, averaging 9% across the 16 wards which is more than respectable. Elections are only a small part of our work, and we successfully used them to continue promoting our message that there are alternatives to cuts in public spending such as collecting in the £120 billion per year the rich avoid or evade paying in taxes. Rugby Against the Cuts held stalls and gave out thousands of leaflets detailing these alternatives, he concluded.”

The Green party fielded nine candidates as part of the Rugby Against the Cuts umbrella. Spokesperson Roy Sandison was pleased they had done so. “The Green party nationally and locally is opposed to these spending cuts,” he explained, “and we were delighted to be standing as part this local anti cuts challenge. Our own results were very encouraging, averaging 11% across our nine wards, and we clearly have roots in local communities. Increasing numbers of people are realizing that there is no need to cut public services and that there are alternative ways to resolve the country’s deficit. This is beginning to materialize into votes, as the Lib Dems have found to their cost both locally and nationally. We will be continuing to campaign with Rugby Against the Cuts until these cuts are overturned,” he concluded

“The whole exercise showed how co-operation between different political parties can work,” added Pete McLaren, who is also spokesperson of the Rugby Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. “We made sure there were no clashes between TUSC and Green candidates to avoid spitting the anti cuts vote, and we happily worked together on promoting all the candidates standing under the Rugby Against the Cuts umbrella,’ he concluded.

The full results of all the candidates in the Rugby Borough Council who stood with the support of Rugby Against the Cuts were;

Admirals	Steve Laffy	Green Party 139/6.4%
Benn	Paul Sandison	Green Party 248/15.4%
Bilton	Steve Roberts	TUSC - Against the Cuts 122/5.5%
Brownsover North	Peter Reynolds	Green Party 144/8.0%
Brownsover South	Clive Dunkley	TUSC - Against the Cuts 122/12.1%
Caldecott	Julie Weekes	TUSC - Against the Cuts 85/4.3%
Dunchurch & Knightow	Pete McLaren	TUSC - Against the Cuts 88/3.3%
Earl Craven	Ellie Roderick	Green Party 171/9.6%
Eastlands	Bert Harris	TUSC - Against the Cuts 67/3.1%
Hillmorton	Dave Goodwin	TUSC - Against the Cuts 117/5.8%
Leam Valley	Geoff Dewhirst	TUSC - Against the Cuts 157/16.2%
New Bilton	Roy Sandison	Green Party 171/9.0%
Newbold	Lorna Dunleavy	Green Party 272/16.0%
Overslade	Laurence Goodchild	Green Party 178/9.3%
Paddox	Phil Godden	Green Party 83/6.4%
Ryton on Dunsmore	Sarah Bennett	Green Party 150/25.2%

FIGHTING THE CUTS IN RUGBY AT THE BALLOT BOX!

2011-05-04T17:01:00.001-07:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00gb6yn

Rugby Local Elections - listen from 2.49.11 for the voice of the anti cuts candidates - Rugby Green Party and Rugby TUSC.

BBC iPlayer - Shane O'Connor's Breakfast Show: 04/05/2011

www.bbc.co.uk

Elliott Webb sits in. Tune in for news, calls and laughter.

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS SAY: ONLY VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO REALLY OPPOSE THE CUTS!

2011-05-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Admirals	Steve Laffy	Green Party
Benn	Paul Sandison	Green Party
Bilton	Steve Roberts	TUSC - Against the Cuts
Brownsover North	Peter Reynolds	Green Party
Brownsover South	Clive Dunkley	TUSC—Against the Cuts
Caldecott	Julie Weekes	TUSC—Against the Cuts
Dunchurch & Knightow	Pete McLaren	TUSC -Against the Cuts
Earl Craven	Ellie Roderick	Green Party
Eastlands	Bert Harris	TUSC - Against the Cuts
Hillmorton	Dave Goodwin	TUSC - Against the Cuts
Leam Valley	Geoff Dewhirst	TUSC - Against the Cuts
New Bilton	Roy Sandison	Green Party
Newbold	Lorna Dunleavy	Green Party
Overslade	Laurence Goodchild	Green Party
Paddox	Phil Godden	Green Party
Ryton on Dunsmore	Sarah Bennett	Green Party

SAVE ST CROSS! - RAP SAYS NO TO PRIVATISATION OF OUR NHS!

2011-04-14T01:44:00.000-07:00

Final round up from the TUC march

2011-04-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Nice picture of Rugby Against The Cuts Banner

Picture from the Daily Mail

Excellent video from Philosophy Football about Northampton anti cuts campaign trip to London

TORY BOYS GO ON THE RAMPAGE? - Unlike UK Uncut!

2011-03-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

”We got drunk, trashed the Ritz & then walked down Piccadilly

to loot a few items from Fortnums.”

Boris Johnson, Bullingdon Club, 1986

This is what 500,000 people look like!

2011-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

You can see the Rugby Against the Cuts purple banner in front of the excellent Thatchers and her sons white banner at 1.23.

2011-03-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Lib Dems to face wipe out in Rugby elections in May?

YouGov/Plymouth University Poll says;

Lib Dems set to lose 11 out of their 25 councils

& 700 of their 1,850 councillors on May 5th

With today's (28th March 2011) Poll showing the price of shoring up the Tories in Government, local Lib Dems Councillors in Rugby may be wondering what will be their fate come the 5thMay local elections.

With the Lib Dems likely to lose 3 seats in Rugby in Dunchurch & Knightlow, Paddox andCaldecott and even their current large majority seat in Eastlands not safe.

Many Lib Dems may be questioning their continue membership of what has been seen by some as a progressive party especially as Nick Clegg is trying to rebrand the party including changing its namehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg/8408720/Nick-Clegg-orders-rebrand-amid-rumours-of-leadership-challenge.html

*Picture above - Jerry Roodhouse - Leader of Rugby Lib Demspreparing to be wiped out at the ballot box in May?

*Article taken from Rugby Green Party site - http://rugbygreenparty.blogspot.com/

WILL THE POLICE HAVE TO PAY DAMAGES FOR UNLAWFUL ARREST OVER FORTNUM & MASON PROTEST AFTER DAMNING VIDEO EVIDENCE EMERGES?

2011-03-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Cuts protesters claim police tricked them into mass arrest

UK Uncut activists say Met promised to show Fortnum & Mason protesters to safety – and then arrested themGreen & Black Cross legal observers took the footage inside Fortnum & Mason and handed it to UK Uncut, which passed it on to the Guardian.

Campaigners for the tax-avoidance protest group UK Uncut have claimed senior police officers "tricked" them into a mass arrest after a peaceful protest inside Fortnum & Mason's in London on Saturday.

Activists say they were given repeated assurances by a chief inspector from the Metropolitan police that they would be shown to safety after the protest, which she described as non-violent and sensible. However, when protesters left the luxury Piccadilly store on police instruction, they were kettled, handcuffed and taken into custody.

Their claims are backed up by footage, obtained by the Guardian, showing that, rather than being asked to leave, the protesters inside the luxury food retailer were told they were being kept inside for their own safety.

In the video, shot by observers for the legal volunteer group Green & Black Cross, a police officer can be seen telling protesters they would be directed towards "the safest parts" once they had left the building.

In all, 201 arrests were made during protests in London on Saturday, at which shops, banks and hotels were attacked by demonstrators who had broken away from the main, union-organised march down Whitehall to Hyde Park.

A total of 149 people have been charged with offences, including 138 charged with aggravated trespass in connection with the Fortnum & Mason protest.

The video also shows the officer agreeing with protesters that a breach of the peace had occurred outside the store, but not inside, and that Uncut protesters were being held inside so they did not become "wrapped up" in that disorder.

"As people leave, they're going to be asked to go left," she can be heard telling protesters. "They're just going into a safe environment because there's some disorder [outside] ... so we're trying to keep it sterile, safe, so people can get away to the tube station.

"People here are non-violent. It's sensible – we don't want them getting involved in stuff that makes it difficult for them," adds the police officer in the footage. Another officer also assured the protesters no one would be kettled if they left the building. A spokesman for the Metropolitan police said it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter while proceedings are active.

One Uncut activist, Jack Winstanley, who was held in a cell in Plaistow for 17 hours, said: "I feel totally betrayed by the police. They communicated the message fairly clear that we'd be released. And our protest had been totally peaceful. We then walked out into a kettle with police with riot helmets on. Not only could we not get home, we got arrested one by one."

Winstanley, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Brighton, said the Fortnum protest had been just like other UK Uncut protests. "It was creative and fun and exciting. There was a bit of cheering [and] whooping when people put up banners, and then things settled down and people were reading books and chatting and some people were talking to the staff about why we were there."

Several of those arrested said they had clothes and phones removed to be used as evidence.

Another Uncut activist, who was arrested for 20 hours and preferred to be known only as Jim, said: "There was this policewoman, and she spoke to the legal observers and said that all we had to do is turn left and we'd be free to go.

"But when we got out, they began arresting us. People in the crowd told a second female officer: 'You've lied to us. You said we could leave and now you're arresting everyone.' She replied: 'Yes, you're free to leave – to the police station. You're going to be arrested.'"

"Because we were at a peaceful protest, which had been the same as all UK Uncut actions to date, it really shocked me that they would arrest all 150 protesters. I feel tricked. Perhaps I shouldn't expect the police to tell me the truth," he said.

Also in the video is a 24-year-old female legal observer Jules Martin, who says customers in Fortnum & Mason are able to go about their business. Afterwards, she said: "The protesters never interfered with customers who wanted to browse. According to my notes, the cafe at the back was still open with waiters still moving about until after 5pm."

Half a million people say no to the cuts in london protest

2011-03-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

(Picture Paul Hanes - Coalition of Resistance)

The TUC lift their finger (at long last) and half a million people make their way

to London to protest against the cuts!

Its the start not the finish of the campaign

Why should we pay for the bankers gambling debts?

See pictures here http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/march26/

THE START OF THE FIGHT BACK!

2011-03-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Scenes from our visit to London for the massive anti cuts march today!

From start to finish

Pictures by R Sandison

2011-03-25T15:00:00.001-07:00

ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNERS SUPPORT STRIKE AT RUGBY COLLEGE OVER JOBS, PENSIONS AND EDUCATION CUTS

2011-03-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

College staff picketing one of the entrances on Thursday this week

Members of Rugby Against The Cuts were invited to join the picket lines at the Rugby campus of Warwickshire College by striking college staff (members of the University and College Union UCU) angry over the CONDEM Government’s attempt to cut £852 million form their pension scheme - which will mean that staff in FE colleges will face an hike in the level of contribution they will need to make of at least an extra 88 per month.

Workers on the picket line were supported by students and people in their cars and on foot – with a number of local people coming up to the picket line to explain how they were supporting the strike because their own pensions were at risk.

College staff also explained that the pension issues is also part of the onslaught of cuts on education, including job cuts and the chance for young people to have a decent education and future as against the dole.

Rugby Against the Cuts took along our banner and gave out our own local leaflet and also leaflets from the Youth Fight For Jobs (a campaign part sponsored by the UCU) to students and also offered to support these workers in any way we can in the future.

By Roy Sandison - Rugby Against The Cuts - Trade Union Liaison

'Big Society' on the agenda? As Tories try to close Dunchurch Library

2011-03-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Dunchurch Library under threat from Tory Councillors cuts

A meeting of over 100 angry residents packed into Dunchurch infants school, just outside Rugby, to hear the chair and local Liberal Democrat parish councillor declare that the only way to save the local library from closure was to staff it using volunteers.

It seems the 'big society' agenda is even being pushed by coalition partners at local parish council level as well as nationally.

By Clive Dunkley, TUSC election candidate for Brownsover South,
The angry meeting was told about budget cuts being made by the Tory controlled Warwickshire county council which will result in 16 libraries being closed down in the county, including the one in Dunchurch.

With a defeatist attitude the Liberal Democrat chair of the parish council, Robin Aird, declared to the meeting that there was no way the county council would reverse these cuts and the only possible way to maintain a library in the village would be to run it as a 'big society' venture using local volunteers to replace the two women workers currently employed to run the service.

During the discussion some local residents, following Aird's negative lead, said they would get involved in running the service. However, two of the local election candidates from Rugby Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) - myself and Pete McLaren - made short interventions explaining that there are alternatives to cuts and firmly stating that it wasn't acceptable to sack workers and replace them with community volunteers.

We also pointed out that this is a weak government coalition that can be forced into U turns, giving the example of the protests in the Forest of Dean which helped to force the government to reverse its decision to sell off the country's woodlands.

Myself and Pete (who is TUSC candidate for Dunchurch ward) were the only people to receive a round of applause at the meeting. This shows that where a lead is given and a fighting strategy to resist cuts is put forward, people are determined and willing to fight back.

*Rugby Against The Cuts are asking people to only support candidates in the forthcoming local elections who have signed our pledge to oppose the cuts.

Front-Line Police Cuts To Warwickshire

2011-03-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

While the Con Dem coalition government tries to maintain that no cuts to front-line public services will be taking place, the reality is now becoming clearer that front-line police jobs WILL go. Police will be taken out of policing roles and pushed into supportive posts, according to the Warwickshire police authority.

As civilian staff take up voluntary redundancy, up to 150 police officers may have to take up their jobs as they are redeployed. Warwickshire police force will have their budgets cuts by almost £23m, unless they fightback against the cuts.

Warwickshire Police Federation chairman Simon Payne said: "This is the stark reality of what cuts mean, which is we haven't got enough money to pay for the number of police we currently have in Warwickshire." Speaking to the BBC, he said, "The [government] is conning the public if they say when police numbers fall, crime won't increase."

We stand opposed to ALL cuts and stand shoulder to shoulder with our police, nurses, firemen (and women) and the millions of public sector workers who did not cause the banking crisis and should not be forced to pay for it with their jobs. We will be marching in London on Saturday 26th March 2011 because we believe their is an alternative to the Con Dem cuts. Join us!

Thanks to Coventry Against Cuts for article

TAKING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CUTS TO THE BALLOT BOX IN RUGBY!

2011-03-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

Rugby Observer 03/03/2011

Rugby Against The Cuts wrote to all the sitting Councillors and their political parties and candidates to ask them to sign our pledge (below) to oppose the cuts that are afflicting such damage on our community.

Only two Councillors made the effort to even reply to our pledge letter - Our community in Rugby deserves better!

COMMUNITY CANDIDATES

Rugby Against The Cuts will ensure that every seat in Rugby will have a community candidate committed to fighting the cuts - most seats are now filled, but if you are involved in fighting to defend your youth club, local school, care service, fire service, St Cross or fed up with us being forced to pay for the bankers gambling debts - please get in contact - by emailing rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

PLEDGE YOUR OPPOSITION TO PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS
15^th February 2011

Dear

Rugby Against the Cuts is a campaigning group of local trade unionists and political activists determined to do all in its power to prevent the threatened cuts in public spending. As part of its work, it intends to ensure that every voter in the Council elections in Rugby this May has the opportunity to vote for a candidate who opposes all public spending cuts. We are circulating the Pledge below to give all candidates the chance to demonstrate their opposition to the cuts. This will enable us to decide whether to stand a candidate in your ward. Rugby Against the Cuts has decided to promote anti cuts candidates in every ward where there is no other candidate or party who has given a written commitment to oppose all cuts in public spending and support for our alternative proposals.

Please therefore sign and return the Pledge below by Tuesday February 22^nd if you oppose the cuts, otherwise we will assume this is not your position.

We await your response

Pete McLaren

Convenor, Rugby Against the Cuts

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

PLEDGE

I recognise there is an economic deficit, but I do not believe public spending cuts are the answer. I oppose all cuts in public spending, locally and nationally, and I will vote against all cuts, if elected, at every level.

Furthermore, I support alternative ways of resolving the deficit including:

A 5% wealth tax on the richest 10%, which, alone, would resolve the debt
Nationalisation of the banks, building societies and financial institutions, run by the people for the people, thus enabling their vast profits to be used to maintain and improve our public services
Stricter enforcement of the collection of taxes which the wealthy avoid or evade – these amount to £120 billion per year
Scrapping Trident and withdrawing from Afghanistan

NAME DATE

TORY SPIN AT RUGBY COUNCIL!

2011-02-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE For immediate use February 25th 2011

TORIES CLAIM THE PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS WILL NOT AFFECT RUGBY

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

Convenor and Press Officer: Pete McLaren pete.mclaren@virgin.net 07881 520626

Treasurer: Julie Weekes Trade Union Liaison: Roy Sandison; Martin Eversfield

Rugby Against the Cuts held a Lobby of Rugby Borough Council last night. They gave out leaflets outlining the alternatives to cutting public spending in order to reduce the economic deficit.

“Tory councillors were clearly rattled, either by our protest, or because they now know we are going to ensure there is an anti cuts candidate in every Rugby ward this May,” spokesperson Pete McLaren explained. “The Council Leader, Cllr Craig Humphrey, told us as he went into the Town Hall that the Council would not be agreeing any cuts in Rugby tonight. Fellow Conservative Councillor David Wright went further, suggesting to protesters that Rugby people would not be affected by any decisions about cuts agreed at that night’s meeting.”

“It was good that Cllr Wright came to talk to us, but it is hard to understand his motivation for making these comments. Staff have been told their jobs are at risk,” he continued. “The Tories are ideologically committed to imposing public spending cuts – so why are two of their local leading members telling us otherwise? Rugby Council has agreed over £4 million of cuts which, according to the Papers going before Council, included:

The loss of 20 posts, at least 5 of which by the Council’s own figures, will be compulsory redundancies
Reducing the number of refuse collections
Ending the Council’s contribution to the Citizen Advice Bureau
Increasing charges for a number of facilities including sports pitches and parking”

Geoff Dewhirst (Warwickshire Branch Secretary of Unite – Youth Work section) added, “These cuts come on top of those agreed last week by Warwickshire Council, which will decimate the youth service, library provision, and care for the elderly. They will react with each other to make the situation worse for service users. Some services have inputs from both Rugby and Warwickshire Councils.”

“It is not true that cuts to ‘backroom’ posts have no effect on services, and Councillors know that. Services to our communities are often created by, and always enhanced by, networked relationships between agencies. Take even one piece out of this “backroom” network, then services become less responsive, imaginative projects aborted, and only bare, statutory requirements are met.”

NOTES

Rugby Against the Cuts will be promoting anti cuts candidates, standing in their own Party name or as independents, throughout Rugby this May to ensure every voter has the chance to vote against the cuts
Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the second Thursday of every month, 7.30pm, at the Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
Rugby Against the Cuts can be contacted on 07881 520626, at rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site at http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

2011-02-20T14:12:00.001-08:00

RUGBY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNERS SUPPORTING COVENTRY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGN AND SLAM WARWICKSHIRE YOUTH AND OTHER SERVICE CUTS!

2011-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

As Labour led Coventry City Council voted through £39m of cuts for the coming year, it has emerged the council will be going on a spending spree. While 1,000 workers face redundancy and services to the vulnerable are slashed, councillors will spend £18 million forcing workers to take redundancy.

(More Information, Pictures and Video from Coventry Against the Cuts) http://www.coventryagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/

Fury as Warwickshire County Council approve massive cuts

2011-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

(Article and picture from Warwickshire Telegraph - Report will follow from Rugby Against The Cuts Members)

PLACARD-waving protesters gathered outside Warwickshire County Council’s headquarters as councillors met to approve massive budget cuts.

A petition signed by 13,000 people against cutbacks to youth services was handed in by campaigners at Shire Hall in Warwick.

Councillors voted through bitterly-opposed plans which would close old folks homes, libraries and youth clubs.

About 1,800 jobs will go over the next three years.

Ruling Conservative councillors yesterday pushed through their plans for £21million cuts this year, rising to £60million over three years, which will see up to 1,800 job losses.

Set to close are nearly all the council’s 10 elderly care homes, up to half of its 34 libraries and youth clubs.

Cuts will also hit the Connexions careers service to young people, street lights will be switched off at night, while the county music service and children’s centres also face cuts.

Conservative council leader Alan Farnell said it was a “firm but fair” response to unprecedented 26 per cent government funding cuts to councils to tackle the £150billion national deficit.

He told yesterday’s budget-setting meeting it was also an “opportunity” to transform council services.

Tory councillors echoed Prime Minister David Cameron’s “Big Society” call for community volunteers to step in to run services, including libraries, youth centres and care homes.

They also favour more commissioning of private firms and social enterprises to run services.

Council tax will be frozen this year, and charges will rise for many services, including home care of the elderly and transport to schools.

Labour leader Coun June Tandy accused the Tories of hiding behind government cuts.

She referred to national charity leaders who have criticised cuts made via councils to charities that provide volunteers, at a time when Mr Cameron was promoting his ‘‘Big Society’’.

Coun Farnell said “difficult decisions” were needed, adding: “We’re trying to do as much as we can with the finances we’ve got... in striving to achieve value for money.”

He said the council would shift towards becoming a “business-led commissioning organisation”.

Earlier, Tory plans to scrap the entire youth service were attacked by Lib Dem councillors, who said the partial U-turn of £1million funding would still see many losing out.

Conservative councillors hit back, saying £1million extra would provide for youth workers in multi-disciplinary teams supporting the most vulnerable young people.

Labour councillors’ alternative plan included keeping open all libraries, youth services, and protecting charities, partly by cutting councillors’ pay by 25 per cent.

Lib Dems and Tories pointed to Labour plans to close all museums and four recycling centres, and uncosted savings plans for 2013/14.

Lib Dem leader councillor Jerry Roodhouse said that, despite the “ya-boo politics”, all three parties’ plans were for difficult cuts, and he blamed the last Labour government’s deficit.

Labour councillors said Tories were in denial about the global banking collapse and international recession, which saw spending increase to support jobs and savings. They accused Tory councillors of slavishly following the “slash and burn policies” of their national leaders.