The Watson Institute at Brown University presents Mark Blyth on Austerity

United we must stand - Mark Serwotka in the Guardian

We cannot have a pick 'n' mix approach to opposition to the cuts – our future is at stake

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/30/unions-cuts-protest

Mark Serwotka speaking out against the cuts

Chronicle and Echo reports on meeting

First Public Meeting A Success

 

Approximately 100 people braved the cold on Saturday 4th December to attend the first public meeting of the Northampton Against the Cuts and Privatisation campaign. A cross section of people who live and work in Northampton came along to discuss their opposition to the cuts and how to campaign against them.

 Emily Dean, president of the Students Union at the University of Northampton, spoke out against the planned  changes to higher education, with the increase in tuition fees a major concern.

 Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the CWU, said how pleased he was to see so many people at the meeting and this reflected the strength of feeling in Northampton. Mr Hayes said that not only should we be opposing the cuts, but we should be campaigning for more investment in the public sector.

Sally Ruane, deputy director of the health research unit at De Montford University, spoke very eloquently as she attacked the government's arguments for the cuts. She argued that by collecting the tax which is owed, the  deficit could be eliminated with destroying jobs and services. She went on to put the deficit into historical context and to point out that the the UK had a far larger deficit after World War II, but was still able to build the Welfare State.