TUC March for an Alternative: What would Clem do?

Tower Hamlets Labour Party on the TUC March 26th.  With the very apt placard to the front "What would Clem do?" (Clement Attlee - former Labour Prime Minister and local MP).   This is important because the National Debt in 1945 was far, far higher than now and yet the Labour government of the time led by Clem managed to nationalise Coal and Steel, have a mass housing building programme and set up the NHS. 

Those were the days!  Hat-tip Col. Roi. Picture Dan McCurry.

Labour Party Banners on TUC March 26th

Hat tip to this LabourList post featuring the 121 photographs taken by Kirstin Hay of Labour Party Banners at the TUC March 26th.

Including of course West Ham CLP (2nd row)

Click on picture to enlarge.

Check out the flickr pages with all the photos here

TUC March for the Alternative 26.03.2011

Another great video - this time of the TUC March last Saturday.  It tells the story of one group of campaigners, from Northampton, and their journey to join the big 26 March.  It follows them and interviews other protesters then ends up at the TUC celebration Party that took place later that night.

The video was funded by  http://www.philosophyfootball.com/.

Newham Labour Movement Family meet up for TUC March

This is a picture of local trade union and Labour Party members meeting up outside Stratford Station on Saturday morning to go on the TUC March.

East Ham MP Stephen Timms, Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales and about 50 Councillors, trade union activists and local residents marched together against these Tory led government cuts and for an alternative economic policy.

Many more from Newham of course marched with their trade unions and affiliates or with friends and families.   I was by then already with my UNISON branch and London region at Embankment. 

The joint leafleting beforehand across Newham by Party members and union activists helped contribute in a small but symbolic way to the success of the March.  It encouraged many ordinary Newham residents to attend who would not have gone otherwise and showed that the Labour movement family when working together can deliver.

Picture Ali G.

The TUC March for an Alternative: The Condem Emperors have no clothes

  This photo college is from today's TUC march in central London. Some 250,000 protesters are estimated to have turned up. I marched alongside UNISON Housing Association branch and UNISON London region.

I felt the day was a great Labour movement family success. The trade unions had members there from all over the UK. Including many who have never marched before. 

The March was cheerful, colourful, noisy but determined.  In Newham local trade unions, Labour Party members, Councillors and the Mayor met up and marched together against this Tory led Government savage cuts to our public services.

It was a great day affected only a little by the antics of a tiny number of spoilt brat parasites who were up to their usual nonsense. I simply cannot repeat the language I heard by genuine working class trade union marchers about these Tory 5th columnists.

At the Rally in Hyde Park Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband and UNISON General secretary Dave Prentis spoke to a great reception.

At the rally I was interviewed by a Spanish radio journalist. She asked me why was it so important to be on this March? Luckily for me we had a discussion on this while marching and I was able to pinch someone else's big idea.  I explained to the journalist that the main reason for marching today is that many people in this country had believed (wrongly) that the cuts are all necessary.  But by getting hundreds of thousands of people to come together and say "No they are not" will help change minds. People will realise that Emperor Cameron and Clegg - have no clothes.

(Click on picture to bring up detail and I will post more pictures from the march on FaceBook).

Update: UNISON TV Youtube on March - some members of my branch are in the background at around 1 min 24
Update: Photos from March here on Facebook.