What a brilliant march today (30 October 2010), against the Cuts in Brighton, really well organised, too…  I think it was the biggest political demo in Brighton since the Thatcher Cuts of the 1980s writes Dave Hill.

And, of course, as people are affected directly by the cuts, and by privatisations, by cuts in pay, pensions and conditions, as schools lose teachers, hospitals lose nurses, and all council services are cut… the numbers will multiply- demanding an end to the Cuts. And we, as socialists, point to the need to ditch all the three main big business parties, and develop a socialist system of society- no more billionaires, million pound bonuses, fat cat executives and directors- instead a far more equal society, anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic- pro human needs and public services and public democratic control over the major institutions (industries/ banks/ utilities), a raise in the minimum wage, a wealth tax on millionaires, and getting back the billions in taxes currently unpaid by big business and by the rich.  

On the Brighton march today there were a handful of identifiable Labour supporters, ie around 4 or 5 `Labour No Cuts’ (!!!!!) posters (at the front of the demo at the speeches in Victoria Gardens) and around 10, a group of them, among the 1500-2,000 demonstrators. A Pity Labour councils (and national Leadership) aren’t opposing the Cuts… all the Cuts on the Poor and on the Welfare state… just wanting the Cuts to be a bit slower and (perhaps, a teeny bit less unfair!)

Labour came to the first Brighton anti-cuts organising meeting- a delegate meeting- (38 attendees), didn’t come to the second, third or fourth). At the most recent Trades Council, one union branch (UNISON) asked for a Labour speaker on the platform of (today’s) Anti-Cuts rally/ March… There was one Labour speaker (out of 15 speakers).

Other speakers were the Green MP (Caroline Lucas), Socialist Party (Peter Offord), UNISON (Diana Leach), RMT (Garry Hassell), UCW local branch secretary, FBU (Fire Brigades Union) worker , Brighton Benefits Campaign (Pip Tindall, Green Party/Green Left), Brighton Unemployed Workers Centre (Tony Greenstein), Chris Baugh (dep gen sec of PCS), Dot Gibson (National Pensioners Convention), speaker from BrightStart Nursery, speaker from Connexions, a political officer from UCW. The 2 rallies (beginning of the march, end of the march) were chaired by Phil Clarke (sec Brighton and Hove Trades Council/Socialist Party) and Dave Jones (BrightStart Nursery/ Socialist Workers party), and a Sussex University Stop the Cuts Campaign speaker.

And of course, these demonstrations and marches will grow!