Why I'm Marching for the Alternative today

Today’s protests against coalition cuts are likely to see up to 300,000 people on the streets of London. People are angry, and justifiably so. Labour supporters are angry that they are seeing the progress of the past 12 years undone. Lib Dem’s are angry that they were conned into voting for a progressive party, not a Tory one. Even 19% of Tories back today’s protests

During the 2010 election both Labour and the Lib Dems campaigned against the Tory plans for deep and immediate cuts. 55% of people voted for these parties. Added together with the Greens and the SNP nearly 60% o the electorate voted against these cuts. Nobody at all voted for the completely unnecessary NHS reforms, which come at a time when the NHS has received all time high satisfaction reports from the public. It is also one of the most efficient in the Western world, and the list of people who oppose these reforms is incredible; doctors, nurses, unions, midwives, patients, and the public in general. Any reforms by the coalition are purely ideological and to let the private sector in, not stealthily through the back door but brazenly gatecrashing through the front door. The private sector has a role in the NHS, but a free market economy does not fit in with the values and principles of our health system.

The coalition has buttered up the electorate with scare stories so that they are more likely to fall into line and accept these cuts. The fact is we’re not, and we never were, in danger of doing a ‘Greece or an Ireland’. The UK’s credit rating is AAA, meaning our interest rate for buying bonds is 3.5%, one of the lowest in the world, whereas Greece and Ireland are at 12.5% and % respectively. It is this ability, or in the case of Greece and Ireland inability, to afford the repayments on bonds with such high interest rates that forced these countries to take EU bailouts.

The economics of the coalition cuts doesn’t add up. Half a million public sector workers have or are about to be made redundant. Not only do these workers provide vital services and support for the country, particularly the most needy and vulnerable, but once they’ve lost their jobs they will join the 2.5 million people already out of work as there simply aren’t the jobs in the private sector to mop them up (in fact most private sector workers have already said they won’t employ ex-public sector workers, proof that the Tory demonisation of public servants has worked). With no jobs to turn to, they will be forced into benefits which will prove to be hugely costly for the government. These workers will also be paying no tax revenue, and will not be spending any money on the high street. This is exactly what bought the economy to its knees in the 80’s, the last time any government attempted severe cuts.

There are many in the private sector who rely on the public sector as well. For instance, the cancellation of the schools building programme has had a huge knock on effect on the construction industry. There is also statistical evidence that the coalitions economic policy is failing. The coalition have taken an economy that was in growth and recovering back onto the verge of recession, and three times since taking power George Osborne has had to revise his growth figures downwards, whilst in the US, where they are implementing a more growth based cuts programme similar to that that Labour and the Lib Dems advocated in 2010, growth forecasts have risen dramatically

Tax avoidance by corporations and the super rich is estimated to cost the country around £15-20 billion per year. UK Uncut has led a high profile campaign against businesses such as Vodafone, Top Shop and Barclays, who are all likely to see further protests today. This has been an issue under Labour and Tory governments, so this is not party political, but in the face of such severe cuts these tax loopholes need to be cut off now more than ever. I understand the argument that tax concessions are necessary to keep successful businesses in the UK economy but when it goes as far as Barclays paying less than 1% in corporation tax ( a figure that is supposed to be closer to 20%) in 2009, the balance has swing dramatically in the wrong direction. The likelihood is that even if tax liability is fully paid up the majority of companies would not leave the country. Britain is a highly attractive place for businesses and their employees, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon

Osborne has recently announced further cuts in corporation tax and has also cut taxes to be paid on profits made by British companies abroad, meaning much less for the British treasury. The banks that caused this global economic crisis, and whose bailout cost the Treasury over £1 trillion, have been given a tax cut by Osborne, and the bank bonuses culture has not been curtailed; in fact quite the opposite. It seems Osborne and the coalition are in favour of making the UK as attractive a place as possible for their friends in business, no matter what the cost for the ordinary person on the street

All this has to be seen in the context of the savage cuts to our public sector services. For example in Hackney, one of the poorest boroughs in the country, many child services are being cut by up to 75%. This means more vulnerable children will be forced onto the streets, where they will be more likely to fall into crime. The scrapping of the EMA will bring about the same results. Cuts to the police will make it more difficult for them to fight crime, which is likely to rise in the face of a recession. Sure Start is facing severe cuts, and the coalitions promise that frontline services won’t be cut has turned out to be nonsensical, and even if it weren’t so frontline staff need the backroom staff that are facing the heaviest cuts in order for them to d their jobs. There are always efficiency savings that could be made, and they should be made, and I’m certainly not advocating no cuts whatsoever, but any cuts need to be fair, pro-growth, and not damage the vital services any people in the country rely on

The Robin Hood tax proposal that many protestors will be advocating today looks like a fair, reasonable. It is estimated that a 0.05% tax on all financial transactions will bring in £200 billion globally, and £20 billion in the UK alone. Those who dismiss it as pie in the sky are, quite frankly, talking out of their arse. The French and the German governments are already budgeting for it, and it would be extremely simple to implement as it could all be done electronically. At least it would target the people who caused the financial crisis rather than the poor and vulnerable in society

So here’s to a peaceful, successful march, and regardless of whether they change their course, they will hear our voice.