MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Thousands demonstrate at the Conservatives’ conference in Manchester
Police put the crowd estimate at 35,000. An estimated 35,000 people have turned out in Manchester to demonstrate at the governing Conservative Party's annual conference, which opened on Sunday. The march was organised by the Trades Union Congress, which billed it as a rally for “the alternative - jobs, growth, and justice”.
'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,' it said.
Police put the crowd estimate at 35,000.
Mainstream public sector workers were taking part, along with left-wing activists. Demonstrators carried placards reading: Unite and fight.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party is the senior partner in the governing coalition formed with the centrist Liberal Democrats. They are committed to balancing Britain's books by 2015.
As the march snaked past the conference centre, protesters chanted: 'David Cameron on your bike, we want a general strike!'
In a message to the demonstrators, Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'The money you were promised by the last Labour government never existed. It was never there. And we have been left with the task of telling you that truth.
“A government betrays instead of serving its people if it allows them to live on a delusion”, Hague said.
“And above all it is wrong, unfair and irresponsible to leave a massive debt for the next generation to deal with instead of facing up to it now”.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all comments'The Alternative - jobs, growth and justice.'
Oct 03rd, 2011 - 10:15 pm 0Why does the TUC consider this to be an 'alternative'?
Because they steadfastly refuse to address the other side of the equation.
If a country spends too much and gets into problems, part of the way out is to stop spending as much and to start addressing the deficit.
A Government can do this. Especially one where a high proportion of the spend is by the Government itself.
So, they can reduce the salary and pension commitments into the future.
They can cut Government-funded programmes.
They can reduce the levels of national debt to reduce upward-spiralling interest payments.
As Margaret Thatcher said, on behalf of the nations' housewifes, “We have to start living within our means”.
If this means fewer submarines, aircraft carriers and warplanes, then this must be achieved with an eye primarily to the future defense needs of the UK and the British Protectorates rather than the foreign wars of the last two Labour governments.
Jobs, Growth and Justice: good words, but have the unions shown how their particular brand of society can move the UK countries from Labour-created bancrupcy to Coalition-managed profitability, full employment, and a happy life for all?
Because, if the unions refuse to address the spending-reductions, and have no workable route to return from Labour-bancrupcy, is their street-marching and band-playing any more than the hot air of wishful chanting and the waving of futile banners?
the UK is bankrupt, that's the true reality..
Oct 04th, 2011 - 04:49 am 0Here geoff, you might find this interesting..it's from your silly island that LOVES to act BIG with tools supporting them blindly.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/25/crisis-bigness-leopold-kohr
and this one is the best from bbc, amazing they allowed him a banker / free trader / neo liberal to talk because BBC is known too for censoring anti banker talk.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/25/crisis-bigness-leopold-kohr
Thanks for your predictable comment, Fido.
Oct 04th, 2011 - 12:38 pm 0I am waiting for comments from people who know something about the UK.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!