Thousands protest over cut plans

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  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    Thousands protest over cut plans

    </span> Anti-cuts protesters gathered outside the Conservative conference earlier this month
    Thousands of union members and other campaigners are set to join protests later against government spending cuts.

    One of the speakers, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, will tell a rally the plans will make Britain "a more unequal and nastier country".

    Ed Miliband will not take part despite saying last month he "definitely" would attend the rally in Westminster.

    The Labour leader's aides said he would instead meet union members from his constituency to hear their concerns.

    The protests are taking place on the eve of the publication of the Spending Review in which virtually all government departments are expected to see their budgets reduced significantly.

    Mr Barber will open the rally - part of the TUC's All Together for Public Services campaign - and will condemn the cuts as "too deep and too rapid".

    </div> "They will bite deep into our social fabric - and hit some of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society," he is expected to say.

    Other speakers will include Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, and Holly Dustin, from the End Violence Against Women Campaign. Both will say they expect their organisations to suffer in the coming years.

    Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Joe Kloska will talk about cuts to arts funding and the closure of the UK Film Council, while Joe Baden, from the Open Book Project - an access programme for ex-offenders - will discuss social inequality and cuts to higher education.

    Following the rally, protesters plan to lobby MPs inside Parliament.

    A spokeswoman for Mr Miliband said his role on Tuesday would be to "listen to the voices of concerned union members".

    She added: "There was never any formal invitation from the TUC; it is not a political event. Two weeks ago he talked about 'playing a part'."

    Last month, during the Labour leadership campaign, Mr Miliband was asked at the TUC conference whether he would commit to attending, to which he replied: "I'll attend the rally, definitely."

    This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.


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