Angry campaigners discuss Stroud fightback

Thursday 4 November saw the first anti-cuts alliance meeting in Stroud, which followed an anti-BNP public meeting held a few weeks before. Socialist Party members played a leading role in organising both meetings.

Over 70 people from a wide section of the community, including trade unionists, came to hear Green Party councillor Martin Whiteside, ex-Labour MP David Drew, and Chris Moore of the Socialist Party.

A strongly voiced commitment to fight against the cuts was made by Drew.

Councillor Whiteside and other Green Party members agreed that instead of making cuts the council could set a needs budget. This was in response to Socialist Party members raising the history of the 1983-87 Liverpool council that won £60 million of extra funding from central government.

These are good words from the local Green Party, but they must be accompanied by real action.

There was palpable anger at the cuts from many in the room, along with discussion of socialist ideas and militant methods to fight them.

We are now building for the Gloucestershire Anti-Cuts Alliance demonstration on Saturday 20 November, which starts at 10.30am at Gloucester Park.

Tom Faraday Gloucestershire Socialist Party