- Assembling 5.30pm at Wood Green Library. Marching to Civic Centre, N22 for a rally there at 6.30pm.
A recently formed alliance is urging everyone who lives or works in Haringey to join together in resisting central government cuts to local services. The Government will be announcing its controversial National Budget on October 20th. The Haringey Alliance for Public Services (HAPS) is calling on local people to show their opposition to proposed cuts by joining a march from Wood Green Library (5.30pm) to a rally outside Wood Green Civic Centre (6.30pm) on Monday 18th October where the Council will be holding a full meeting of all the borough's Councillors.
Over 120 anti-cuts protestors braved a very wet autumn evening on September 14th to show their opposition before the last Council Cabinet meeting. HAPS are hoping for a good turnout again on Monday 18th. Community groups and trade union branches are being encouraged to bring their banners and to speak at the rally about the services they provide and use.
Haringey Council estimates it will make £60m cuts over the next four years. This is on top of the £17m which Central Government has already cut from our local services in the last 4 months. If these cuts go unchallenged, threatening further privatisation of our public services, it will prove devastating for all sections of our local communities. This is why HAPS is encouraging everyone from across the borough to get involved.
HAPS is also supporting the national anti-Budget mass protests in Central London on Budget Day (Oct 20th) and the following Saturday (Oct 23rd)
Joan Curtis of Haringey Friends of Parks Forum (affiliated to HAPS) said: “Friends of parks groups have worked hard to rescue our local green spaces from the scandalous state they got in after Government cuts in the 1980s. We must not let this happen again, and urge all residents to attend the demonstration and to speak out.'
Michelle Lawson of HAPS Publicity Group said: “These cuts are not inevitable. The Government's propaganda and myths are being increasingly challenged as local campaigns like ours spring up throughout the country.'
Background
1. This press release has been produced by the HAPS Publicity Group. For more information contact: Dave on 020 8211 0916 or Jane on 07817 483167. Or email haps@haringey.org.uk
2. Haringey Alliance for Public Services has been set up as a network of local residents groups, trade unionists, political organisations, community activists and other concerned individuals - it is open to all those living or working in Haringey. We support opposition to the running down, closure or privatisation of any local public services, and support campaigning for improvements.
3. Contrary to current Government propaganda, the current level of public debt is not unusual historically (being in fact on the low side compared to the last 200 years). Moreover, if Government is claiming it needs to 'balance its books', there are alternatives to the cuts already proposed – for example, at least £80bn could be saved by scrapping Trident nuclear weapons, the colossal subsidies from public funds earmarked to prop up the banking system could be redirected to our vital front-line services, tens of billions could be raised by ending systematic corporate tax-evasion, and the richest 1,000 people in the UK (who between them own a shocking £330 billion according to the Sunday Times 'Rich List') could be properly taxed. The fact that none of these are being considered, let alone implemented, indicates that the Government has chosen to embark on an ideological war against public services and the welfare state.
4. People interested in regular updates can sign up at the new HAPS website: www.hapsnews.net
5. The following is a list of groups whose members have attended HAPS meetings so far: Friends of Downhills Park, AJAMU, Communication Workers Union, Public & Commercial Services Union, GMB, Haringey Green Party, North London Community House, Day-Mer, Haringey Unison (local government & health), Haringey TUC, Haringey Solidarity Group, Haringey Federation of Residents’ Associations, Better Local Healthcare Campaign, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Resistance, Unite, CoHENEL University and College Union, Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, Sustainable Haringey, Haringey Forum for Older People, Noel Park North Residents' Association, Woodlands Park Residents' Association, Haringey Age Concern, Burghley Road Area Residents' Association, National Union of Journalists, National Union of Teachers, Muswell Hill & Highgate Pensioners' Action Group, Friends of Woodside Park, Bounds Green Ward Labour Party.
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