Yesterday was Condem emergency budget day. I am not going to write about what the budget means or what impact this will have on society, as I am sure that many others are doing this already. What I am concerned about is the huge amount of apathy shown by the british public. I had been planning to attend the `right to work` demonstration against the budget, providing that it was as bad as I had imagined. and clearly , my fears were confirmed.
Later that afternoon, I made the journey to Liverpool for the protest. Harriet Harman had stated after the budget announcements, that Merseyside would be affected most from the cuts; so I was expecting a huge turnout. Me and my friend were the first to arrive, shortly followed by a member of the socialist workers party. About ten minutes later there were members of Unision, then about 30, to 40, people maximum joined. People walked past as they were making the journeys home from work, looking at us as though we were mad. I wonder if they will do the same if they are made redundant? The were a few beeps of solidarity from drivers, yet not one felt strongly enough to get out of their cars.
I really cannot believe that people are actually happy about this coalitions budget, yet what will it take to get people to do something about it. I spoke to some of the people there, who all kept repeating the same thing. There is too much division on the left. We fight and bicker over what are in reality, small differences, and this is how the right get their strength. I told some that there is a huge, like minded online community, yet I felt that they did not want to get involved, or discuss ideas, only to get me to join their partys. It was rather like banging my head against a wall. very frustrating.
So what will it take to get the British public to fight? Fight for their jobs, fight for their healthcare and the rest of the welfare state? Does everything have to be lost before people actually realise what has been lost? How do we get those on the left to unite? Build bridges? We all dispise the tories? Can we not just focus on that untill they are out?
