Among the estimated 500,000 trade unionists, campaigners and individuals who marched through London in support of public services and alternatives to the cuts last Saturday were members of Stafford and Stone Green Party, including a prospective local election candidate for the Forebridge ward, Lisa Pearce.
The protesters believe we are being misled into thinking that cuts in public services are unavoidable and that they will help clear the deficit. But experts have warned that cuts will harm the economy, not help it and that the resulting unemployment will lead to the Government raising less in taxes and paying out more in benefits.
Green MP Caroline Lucas proposes tackling the deficit by increasing taxes for the very wealthy, introducing a ‘Robin Hood’ tax on financial transactions, clamping down on the billions lost through tax evasion and tax avoidance (over £100 billion), and scrapping projects such as the Trident nuclear weapons programme.
By encouraging investment in the Green New Deal, energy saving measures, renewable energy, public transport, waste reduction and local food, they could create jobs, reduce bills and boost our economy.
The marchers and speakers were there to call for alternative measures such as these to tackle the deficit.
Lisa said “This event showed how much support there is for an alternative to the cuts agenda. Only the Green Party is offering genuine opposition to the cuts originally proposed by Labour and carried out by the ConDem coalition.”
Commenting on the violence which broke out in London later that evening Lisa said “I do not condone this vandalism in any way. We must not allow a tiny minority of people who were intend on making trouble to distract us from the outstanding demonstration of opposition to the cuts agenda this march showed exists.”
Lisa Pearce, with son Jack, at the anti-cuts protest on 26th March
