{"id":12730,"date":"2017-07-03T15:53:27","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T14:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=12730"},"modified":"2017-07-03T16:07:16","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T15:07:16","slug":"pack-bags-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=12730","title":{"rendered":"\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Pack your bags May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTories out\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 was the defiant message delivered by thousands of anti-austerity protesters, as well Labour politicians and trade union leaders, who marched on Parliament this Saturday (July 1).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite members from throughout the UK travelled to join the carnival-like demonstration and hear a range of speakers including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite the seriousness of the message and the difficult events of the last few months, the atmosphere was jovial as the march made its way down Regents Street and past 10 Downing Street to the Houses of Parliament.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite retired member, Dave Townsend, 44, had travelled from Western-super-Mare with his wife Keren, 44, daughter Caitlin, 13, and son Tristan, 7.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Townsends were protesting against cuts<\/a> to their local hospital, as well as their schools and other public services.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Dave<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr Townsend, who was a Ministry of Defence marine engineer for two decades before ill health forced his retirement, said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe want an end to austerity and this government is not the government to give us that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098I worry for my children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI worry for my children. We live in one of the most deprived regions. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no job security for young people and owning their own house is now almost impossible.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Labour vote doubled in Western-super-Mare during this last election. If people knew then what they know now the Tories wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have got in and I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it will be long until the next election.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Addressing the protesters \u00e2\u20ac\u201c many of who were carrying placards highlighting the Grenfell Tower fire and cuts to public services \u00e2\u20ac\u201c at Parliament Square, Jeremy Corbyn<\/a> said he was intent on forcing another general election.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are the people, we are united and we are determined, we are not going to be divided or let austerity divide us. We are increasing in support and we are determined to force another election as soon as we can.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Corbyn savaged the Tories for hinting they would scrap the public sector pay cap this week, before using their deal with the DUP<\/a> to vote down a Queen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Speech amendment by Labour to do exactly that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bDon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any illusions in these people, when they started the austerity programme they meant it and they meant it to carry on and carry on.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"peoples<\/p>\n

Corbyn also blasted the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bunbelievable\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 hypocrisy of Tory MPs who had praised the emergency services during the Grenfell Tower<\/a> disaster and recent terror attacks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe utter hypocrisy of government ministers and others who queued up in the chamber over there in the\u00c2\u00a0House of Commons\u00c2\u00a0to heap praise on the emergency services, the following day to cut their wages by refusing to lift the pay cap.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Oh Jeremy Corbyn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Before reaching Parliament Square demonstrators, accompanied by percussionists and musicians, chanted \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOh Jeremy Corbyn<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 and \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTheresa May on your way, Jeremy Corbyn here to stay\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 as they marched through central London.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amongst Austerity Kills placards and trade union branch banners, people had fashioned their own versions of Theresa May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s now infamous \u00e2\u20ac\u015bmagic money tree<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One protester was wearing a giant papier-m\u0102\u02d8ch\u0102\u00a9 model of the Prime Minister\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s head, while others carried placards referring to her running through wheat fields<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Underneath the theatrics and fun, however, were sombre messages from people worried about five more years of Tory rule.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite automotive member Stuart Davis, 46, had travelled from Crewe with his son Alex, 14, and his daughter Emma, 10.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Masses aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t happy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Davis, who works for Bentley, said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been coming to marches since the kids were little. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important that the government knows the masses aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t happy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Stuart<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI lost my wife, Wendy, to cancer five weeks ago so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m now a single parent. Things have changed. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gone from being quite comfortable to watching everything now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnfortunately I know that if we face difficulties the Tories aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a party interested in helping people \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not the working man at least.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr Davis said that Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s resurgence had given him hope for the future.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bJeremy gives me hope and the Labour manifesto. I was also inspired by the maiden speeches of the new Labour MPs. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a general feeling of change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPeople are realising they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lived under seven years of austerity, when last week the Prime Minister found a billion pounds from no-where just so she could stay in office.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once the march reached Parliament Square, the protesters held a minutes silence for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grenfell Tower <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking after the silence, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTo the victims of Grenfell Tower we pledge now, we will stand with you and your families all the way through. We bring you sympathy but more importantly we bring you solidarity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"peoples<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe will not rest until every one of those families is properly housed within the community in which they want to live. Grenfell Tower symbolised for many everything that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gone wrong in this country since austerity was imposed upon us.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Addressing the crowd Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said it was time for the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bnasty party\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 to go.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"peoples<\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTheresa May – hear the message from today. \u00c2\u00a0You, your party and Tory cruelty have failed the people, you are not wanted. Pack your bags, get out of No 10 and take the rest of your nasty party with you. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bLet Labour get on with the job of restoring dignity, decency and economic sanity to this country once again. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor the good of this country \u00e2\u20ac\u201c go, and go now.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All pics by Mark Thomas<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTories out\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 was the defiant message delivered by thousands of anti-austerity protesters, as well Labour politicians and trade union leaders, who marched on Parliament this Saturday (July 1).   Unite members from throughout the UK travelled to join the carnival-like demonstration and hear a range of speakers including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Unite general […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[265,76,321,44],"wps_subtitle":"Unite joins protest throng at People\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Assembly","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12738,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730\/revisions\/12738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}