What can I do about the cuts?

[EvilEyeButterPie]

I really want to do something about what the government is doing to our country, and I'm looking for a group to join to help with some kind of organised effort- I live in the north east, so I have seen Sunderland Against The Cuts, but is there anything else?

I also go to Preston loads (family live there) so something over that side would be good too - does anyone know of anything?

Is there a central list anywhere of the groups? If not, can we add them to this thread to help people find them?

[MadameCastafiore]

Feck the cuts - lets get deeper into debt and go by the way of Ireland and Portugal!

Maybe start a political party with a really good plan to get the country out of the shit the labour government has got us into!

[May1808]

There is a central list here: anticuts.org.uk

Preston Against Cuts is the group active in Preston, next meeting 25th November at 7pm at Disability Equality (NW) on Church Street, Preston. Public meeting, everyone welcome.

[curlymama]

So, do you have another plan to cut the country's deficit instead then?

[kate1956]

There's also www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/

and to the other comments - well we could start by scrapping trident - over 20 years this would save 97 billion and then deal with tax avoidance (25 billion) and tax evasion (70 billion); and given that the richest 1% of the country own 21% of the country's wealth we could have a wealth tax! how's that for some basic ideas? Oh and putting up student fees will actually cost more to administer than now which really indicates an idealogical motive I would think!

[May1808]

Here, here Kate. There are many viable alternatives that the government have not considered in favour of draconian measures which will hit the working classes harder and push the country deeper into recession. If you would like to hear about them go along to your local meeting or find their website and find out more.

98% of the population will be directly affected by these cuts - it is our fight, every single one of us (unless you're a multi-millionaire tax avoiding insert rude word of choice here who is in the 2% lucky enough not to ever need access to a public service) will bear the brunt of cuts which are not neccessary.

Unlike Cameron, Clegg and Osborne I am not a billy-bulshitter - the information is out there, find it, read it, listen to it - don't just close your eyes and cross your fingers. Current government policy is not an attempt to pay off our 'massive' national debt and get this country out of recession, even if every single piece of crack pot policy the condem's are implementing is carried out perfectly and with the results intended it will not solve /our/ problems because that is not it's purpose.

Wealth is not about numbers, what we give or take from the system or what we take home in our pay packet each month and what we need or choose to spend it on - wealth or poverty is about security. There are very few people who will manage if the welfare state and public services are severely reduced as the government suggest. Real poverty will be experienced on a large scale as a result of these cuts.

[kate1956]

absolutely!

there is also www.righttowork.org.uk/

[May1808]

The PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union) have a very concise leaflet about alternatives to the cuts here (downloads as a PDF):

www.pcs.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=23E6E0DF-0C3D-4AB1-A78C815E8CBC4771

More in depth analysis of that leaflet on their website here:

www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/campaign-resources/there-is-an-alternative-the-case-against-cuts-in-public-spending.cfm