General Discussion

If you missed today's amazing anti-austerity march in London where 250,000 people gathered to protest about the injustice of the government's austerity measures you can take part in a more local event in Torquay on 18th July (see: https://www.facebook.com/torbay3towns?fref=ts)

Here's just one shot from London today

The usual lefties and Champagne socialists having their day out, can't accept the election result.   As a side-note, I sincerely hope Corbyn becomes the next Labour leader, it will make them unelectable for a decade at least.

I hope the cuts never touch you or yours!!! the cons only had a small proportion of the vote, so most didn't vote for them This about all walks of life being affected by these cuts. Viva the start of the revolution!!!! remember the bitches poll tax ;)

As most didn't vote for Labour either in previous elections, did you complain about that at the time?  And really, Thatcher left office 25 years ago, and you still bleat on about her.  Is that the best you can do?

I was referring to her downfall Poll Tax Riots maybe her son will suffer the same fate

Then they came for me . 5 June 2015 at 22:22 ◾First they came for the Homeless Poor & Hungry, and I did not speak out - because I was not Homeless Poor or Hungry; ◾Then they came for the Sick & Disabled , and I did not speak out - because I was not Sick or disabled ; ◾Then they came for the OLD & Frail , and I did not speak out - because I was not OLD or Frail; ◾Then they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Muslim; ◾Then they came for the immigrants, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Immigrant; ◾Then they came for the Activists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Activist; ◾Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me Courtesy of sarahsmith

http://www.greenbenchesuk.com/2015/01/100-biggest-failures-of-david-camerons.html

All I  know is this. All my working life I  was  never  given anything, what I have now, has been achieved, by my own blood, sweat and tears.

The  opportunities  are  there for everyone,  it is for them to take them.

What I also know is that over the years, I have fared far better under a Tory administration than a Labour one.

I give up, none of you understand its not about unemployment !!!

Labour party is history thank goodness.. people are more educated in 2015 than in the dark ages of the 1970s.

The people decided...

are they wondering the majority of the population didn't decide,but this is not about party politics, some of the comments on here make me wonder. Donone of you care about the NHS, our schools,etc all you seem to think these cuts are about is benefits!!!! suprised none of you have moaned about the grass verges not being cut yet

Who is going to cut the grass verges, empty the green bins, clean the public toilets, etc. Bet it all gets done in and around Forde House and County hall. What has happened to all the money the authorities are coining in from all the new houses, and if they have no money to cut the grass how can they afford to CP and maintain Warren farm and surrounding land.

Teignbridge are asking you to cut the verges outside your homes yourself

Last year Teignbridge faced protests from some quarters about cutting the verges down when they were at their most useful to birds, bees and butterflies. Wild flowers and unmown verges are a haven for wildlife and insects. Yes they may look a bit messy but how nice to see nature of this kind being able to flourish.   This may be an accidental side effect of budget restrictions, but I for one actually like how they look and don't mind them not being cut one little bit. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33221966 so I conclude that you are all in agreement with these proposals

There were only 25,000 marchers, not the 250,000 reported.

http://order-order.com/2015/06/22/no-250000-people-did-not-protest-on-saturday/

I'm assuming that the country is up the proverbial creek without a paddle financially.

The Govt. - any Govt. -  has limited options to resolve this because most of our financial spending is now ruled by EU directives which subjugate our national laws.

I'd be the first to celebrate if we could now afford everything we want to - but we can't.

Most people in the country realise this which is why the turnout for protest is so small.

Or Huw, people realise that this newly elected majority Conservative government will do what it pleases irrespective of marches 

and protests and similar and think to themselves so what is the point of protesting?

On the other hand of course if/when middle England wakes up and starts demonstrating then that might be different (believe the blue rinse

brigade got a bit upset about the poll tax back in the 1980s, did they not?) 

So lack of people on a march may be due to other factors as well as the one you suggest above. For example, those so ground

down in poverty don't have the emotional let alone financial resources to take part in marches and protests. They are too busy just trying

to survive.       

I don't think it was "the blue rinse brigade" that trashed central London on 31st March 1990, it was the usual rent-a-mob thugs of the left.

So Tim Walker were you there?  There was a solid wall of people marching for 3 hours from Bank to Westminster (2 and a half miles).  That wsa at least a quarter of a million

This was real democracy in action in protest at the injustice of an inhuman austerity programme (pogrom on the poor) being imposed on the majority of the country by a minority government (only one third of the votes).  If we are to survive as a country there has to be a real change in both our electoral and political systems which bring about a fairer more equitable society.

I think I believe the explanation of the figures from Guido, they sound more plausible.

More plausible than what?  No one has ever siad there were 250,000 people in Westminster Square (it only holds about 20-25,000) but the last people were arriving at the square as the speeches were finishing and most who had just come to show support on the march itself dispersed after reaching the square.  As for plausibility, over time there was a column of people about 4 miles long (that's about 21000 feet) and about 25 people in width.  It was a wall of people so let's say there was an average gap between rows of people of about 2 feet, then the number of people on the march would have been (21000/2)*25 or around 250,000.  Incidentally the police were also quoted somewhere as saying that over a million people were protesting that day all over the country (although I can't substantiate that). 

More plausible than your explanation.

Ah Guido Fawkes. As if a right wing blogger would write anything plausible about anti-austerity protests. 

  Is this  the mob that had speeches by,  an alledged  ex-ira  leader  ( ironic  poster in the background -stop the war .....!!!!)  and  russell brand  millionaire  socialist .!!!!  ( ironic anti-austerity poster...!!! )  sorry coundn't make it as i was puttng needles iin my eyes at the time.............

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/24/disability-prime-ministers-questions-independent-living-fund-_n_7653048.html?1435150311%3F%3F I presume this is an unruly "mob" as well. The revolution is starting

There's no 'alleged' about it. Martin McGuinness was an IRA gunman and 2i/c of the IRAs Derry Brigade at the time of Bloody Sunday.

As far as I'm concerned, the protest lost all credibility as soon as he was shoved up on stage.

1300 Security Forces died in his, and his likes, 30 year war plus around 2000 civilians (to put perspective on this 255 soldiers were killed in the Falklands, 179 in Op Telic (Iraq) and 443 in Afghanistan) and some people in this country invite this killer/murderer to address their parade? Shame on them. 

Northern Ireland - our forgotten war - Lest We Forget.