Thousands rally against savage Tory cuts agenda in UK's major cities over the weekend
Organisers of Saturday’s anti-austerity rallies in Glasgow, London and Liverpool say the Tory government will face increasing opposition to welfare cuts “at every turn”.
Protesters in Glasgow united with an estimated 250,000 campaigners in London and Liverpool on Saturday (20 June) calling for an end to the UK government’s austerity agenda.
Saturday’s rallies came as chancellor George Osborne said he would press ahead with £12 billion worth of welfare cuts in next month’s budget.
Organised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and the People’s Assembly, the Glasgow event heard how cuts were heaping misery on the most vulnerable and that this was set to get worse.
Police said there were more than 1,000 people in George Square; however, organisers claimed up to 10,000 had been involved at various stages on the day.
Speakers included Grahame Smith, general secretary of the STUC, Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland and Pat Rafferty, Scottish secretary of Unite.
We have seen the rich getting richer. That's the impact of austerity and that's why we oppose it - Grahame Smith
Smith said: “We know austerity does not work.
"It is entirely about ideology and it is about protecting the position of the already privileged in society."
He added: "We have seen over the past few years the impact of austerity: growing queues at food banks; people being thrown out of their house because of the bedroom tax; and the unprecedented decline in real wages.
"But at the same time we have seen the rich getting richer. That's the impact of austerity and that's why we oppose it."
The event was backed by the first minister Nicola Sturgeon who, addressing an SNP meeting in Stirling, said: “I want to offer my support to those marching with the STUC against the harsh, deeply unfair Tory cuts that are causing real pain for many in Scotland and across the UK.
“Five years of Tory austerity has done too much damage already; working families and vulnerable people cannot afford further UK government cuts.
“At Holyrood and at Westminster, the SNP will continue to make the strong case for an alternative to austerity to ensure the most vulnerable people in our society do not continue to face the brunt of unfair Tory cuts.”
Campaigner George Jacobs, who organised previous anti-bedroom tax rallies on Glasgow, said there was growing momentum against the cuts.
“This rally shows we won’t take these cuts laying down,” he said. “We will oppose at every turn. Cuts costs lives; they are morally wrong. It is every citizens’ duty to protect society from Tory austerity.”
In London a number of celebrities and politicians joined the march including Russell Brand, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn, singer Charlotte Church, and others.
The rally culminated in Parliament Square, where dozens of speakers gave rousing speeches.
Among those who spoke were Unite union boss Len McCluskey, Martin McGuinness, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, Corbyn, commentator and activist Owen Jones and Russell Brand.
Brand said: “We need to learn to talk to one another and recognise that our time on this earth is fragile and temporary. If we don’t build systems on the idea of love and togetherness the alternative is unconscionable.”
