Why I’m marching tomorrow

There are plenty of reason people are protesting the proposed cuts, for Luke Pollard they are education, defence and the NHS

Tomorrow, dozens of coaches will travel from across the south west, packed full of demonstrators who will participate in the biggest demonstration against the Coalition government since it was formed – The TUC’s March for the Alternative.

Like hundreds of people from Plymouth, I will be marching tomorrow in protest at the speed and depth of the government’s cuts. Each demonstrator will have a slightly different reason as to why they are demonstrating but let me share mine. There are principally three reasons why I will be marching tomorrow:

1. Cuts to education. I’m a primary school governor. I am especially proud of the teachers and staff at my school who go out of their way to teach children, going above and beyond the call of duty. The buildings have been invested in over the last 13 years, with new books, materials, computers, kitchens, sports equipment and more staff. Education is not just a right it is such a driver of social progress. The Tory-led coalition’s cuts to the education budget puts the future of our young people at risk, it threatens the job security of the staff, for whom I have enormous respect and admiration and it condems the life chances of a whole generation to education on the cheap. Education cuts are literally generational theft and are robbing our children of the future opportunities they deserve.

2. Defence cuts. Like many in Plymouth I come from a family with military ties. I’m proud of Plymouth’s service men and women, proud too of our Naval base and proud association with the Royal Marines. I have seen our Tory Council talk down the dockyard and Naval Base over 10 years for political gain. I have seen our Tory MP promise to save the frigates only to vote through their scrapping when he won power.

At a time when British forces are in combat over Libya, our Navy in action in the Med and our forces still fighting in Afghanistan the Strategic Defence and Security Review cruelly cut the hardware, the benefits and the platforms for our military. David Cameron assures us we will have a “proper dockyard” in Plymouth but by 2020 we might only have one ship but we’ll have an incinerator and some old subs rotting away so that’s alright then? The defence cuts are hurting our forces and hurting Britain’s place in the world – we need the Defence review opened and opened soon.

3. NHS cuts and reforms. During the election Mr Cameron promised to save the NHS. The Coalition Agreement states clearly there would be ‘no top down reorganisation of the NHS’. Yet, less than a year into office and the biggest and most deep-rooted ‘reform’ of the NHS ever imagined is in train. Another broken promise from this government. It is not a stealth privatisation, it is overt and clear. The Tories are commoditising health, purposely planning the same reforms as the last Tory government did to the trains and the water boards. We are still suffering from poor rail and hideously expensive water in the region. This is not a model I want for the NHS.

Tomorrow, I will be marching in protest. On Sunday, I’ll be campaigning on the streets. Volume and numbers on Saturday will achieve much, but unless we persuade voters to vote out the Tories and Lib Dems (and yes, they’re voting for every Tory policy) our schools, defence and NHS will still be at risk.

If you are not on the demo tomorrow, do one thing. Get in touch with your local MP and let them hear your concerns. Let them be under no doubt, whatsoever, that you object to the speed and depth of the cuts. Let them know that you will not stand for the privatisation of the NHS. Let them know you will not vote for them unless they oppose the NHS reforms.

Alternatively, you can do what this guy did and record a rap video to make your views crystal clear (warning: strong language). Whatever you do – do not sit on your hands and hope someone else will stop the Tories. Do your bit – your country is literally depending on you.

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