Budget anger in Hove!

The scissors busted! 

We can stop these cuts!

Around 200 people gathered outside Hove Town Hall tonight to protest Osborne's class war budget.

There were protests all over the country and at this one speakers included trade unionists, students and claimants' groups.  It was organised by the local TUC and supported by just about every trade union active in the area.

Tom Hickey of UCU looked to the example of the people of Greece for the kind of resistance we need here.  Alex Knutson of Unison talked about the 25% cut in public spending and what that could do to services in the city.  Tony Greenstein of the Unemployed Workers's Centre denounced the record of New Labour in paving the way for the cuts with their own policies.  Labour and Green councillors also spoke.  Gill Mitchell, Leader of the Labour Group spoke well in the teeth of some understandable hostility from sections of the audience.  But she did pledge to fight the cuts planned in the Council's budget for this year, most of which, she said, would fall on schools and services to children. 

Phelim McCafferty of the Green Party brought a message of support from Caroline Lucas MP, who was in the Commons attacking the budget there.

There was common agreement that we need to push the campaign forward, and the trades council will becoming forward with ideas in the coming weeks.