Apologies for Not Attending London

As a trade unionist in Local Government, I wanted to attend the rally in London this Saturday but it did clash with our conference in Cardiff. However, I wish all the marchers well and hope (rather than expect) that the LibCons realise that the cuts are actually damaging the economy and not saving it.

However, any thoughts I mighty have had about skipping conference were soon forgotten after receiving a mailing from my union this week from my Wales union boss, inviting me to join the Labour party. Not only was this rather annoying, but the rest of the literature then linked directly the march this weekend to supporting Labour. Hang on a minute I asked myself, but wasn't it this lot in charge when the economy got in such a mess in the first place?

Well, not according to the junk mail in front of me. They also neglected to mention that if they had won the British election last year, that their cuts on Wales would have been almost identical to what the LibCons are foisting on us. You better get used to this nonsense, as Labour will repeat it again and again over the coming weeks, in the hope that you actually believe it.

I for one have no intention of attending a rally hijacked by Labour as a recruitment campaign, courtesy of my own union.

Still No Mood to Protest

Undeb at Last Saturday's anti-Cuts Rally

The current cuts that the UK public sector are facing, are the biggest for generations and are having a massive effect on public services. The size and speed of the cuts are way beyond any justification based on the deficit and in nations like Wales, there is a clear double dip localised recession taking place-particularly in the areas most reliant on public sector jobs.

Yet, where are the protests?

The fact is that most public sector workers have been brainwashed into believing that what is coming their way, is the only way. The irony of course is that the very party who are riding on the anti-Tory backlash, not only helped to create the current mess, but also planned savage cuts of their own - if they has won last May. Labour preached the cuts agenda prior to the last British election with such effect, that even their core support while despising the LibCons for the cuts' severity, still believe in their heart of hearts that much of it is necessary.

Then you have people like me out side the Labour party, who are disgusted by the hypocrisy of a party who would have forced through cuts almost as severe in many areas and whose attacks on public sector pensions would be no different from today's announcement. Lord Hutton is after all Labour and not a Tory.

So, my union wants me to take a day travelling to London on the 26th March, to listen to predominately Labour supporting trade union speakers slagging off the Tories and creating a platform for 'their party' to rebuild-very much like what happened in Cardiff last Saturday. I have yet to make up my mind if I will go on this march, as I am not at all clear if I want to take part in a campaigning day for a party that created this mess in the first place.