Just days into the general election campaign and thousands of pensioners, students, disabled campaigners, community activists, health professionals and trade unionists are expected to take part in a march and rally in central London on 10 April in support of the welfare state and publically-delivered public services.
The demonstration has been called in opposition to promises made by all the major political parties that after the general election, widespread cuts will have to be made in public spending in order to pay for the mistakes of the banking industry and an unregulated free market.
The event is supported by over 30 organisations, including the TUC, BMA, National Pensioners Convention, RADAR, Keep Our NHS Public, Carers Poverty Alliance, Defend Council Housing and over 20 individual trade unions.
The march will assemble at Temple Place, Embankment at 12 noon and move off at 1pm.
Dr David Wrigley, a member of Council at the BMA, said: “This is a great opportunity for doctors and medical students to show their commitment to the NHS and other public services. We’ve seen first-hand the damaging effects of market reforms.
“It is vital we ensure the NHS is the best it can be for our patients and that taxpayers money is used on frontline NHS services and not siphoned off to big businesses in the City. Reforms such as PFI and ISTCs have diverted large amounts of money from frontline services. In addition to ongoing problems created by these reforms, we face additional funding squeezes. Whoever wins the next election, the whole NHS is facing the threat of further cuts.”
Tags: Demo, Privatisation
