News and analysis

On Wednesday evening, October 20^th, around 200
trade unionists, students and community activists gathered on the steps of the
Council House in Coventry in protest at the national and local cuts. Tory
Chancellor Osborne’s announcement of the cuts package was a few hours old, but
the previous day Coventry City Council had announced that it would cut £146
million over the next four years from a present budget of £809m. This would
have represented a cut of 18% but with the knock on effects of higher benefits
and lower council receipts the cuts will be far higher.

Oct 20th – Today’s the day. For months now workers have been dreading
the arrival of this day – the date chosen by this bosses coalition to
announce the biggest series of public spending cuts in living memory.

Very rarely does one venture into the “personal finance” section of
the business papers. Maybe it is because advice on how to invest your
million pounds fortune doesn’t seem that relevant to your life
situation. Sometimes, however, it pays off.

On Sunday October 3^rd the – at times – torrential
rain could not dampen the enthusiasm of around 7,000 marchers as they wound
their way through Birmingham city centre in protest against Tory/Lib Dem
government’s planned cuts. As Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary,
said speaking from the rally platform, ”If thousands could be mobilised against
the cuts in the pouring rain, just think what could be achieved if the TUC were
to organise such a demonstration. We could bring hundreds of thousands onto the
streets.”

Steve Kelly reports on a meeting against the cuts organised in the heart of Essex.