Monday 16 May 2011

250,000 v 350

As Bill Hicks would say, lets look at those figures again because at first glance they may look a bit confusing at first.

On 27 March, an estimated 250,000 made their way to London to march against the coalitions scorched earth policy of cutting public services and preparing these services to be provided in future by both private companies and charities (that last part is the real meaning of the Big Society).  Sure a lot of people marching were vested interest groups, like union members, public sector employees and people who would lose out if public services were destroyed in the manner set out by Gideon Osborne.
Picture: http://politicalscrapbook.net/2011/05/rally-against-debt/ - Count 'em

On Saturday an estimated 350 people came out of their Chelsea townhouses and made their way from their country piles to show their support for Gideon Osborne’s scorched earth policy of cutting spending on public services.  In fact, so deluded were these people that they called for faster and deeper cuts.  Sure these people were probably Tories who’s only experience of a demonstration was the Countryside Alliance marches

Saturday should really have been a humiliating experience for Guido, those Tax-dogers people, and the other right wingers who think that this government are not going far enough in their debt reduction plans. Except these people will still think that they are right, despite the fact that approximately 249,650 less people came to support their opinions.

This confirms two things.  Firstly, any semblance that the so called Tax-Payers Alliance in any way represents normal tax payers has now been thoroughly disproved.  Secondly, this also proves that those who support any combination of a slowing of the cuts, selection of different targets for cuts or a tightening of corporation tax rules need to really step up the media battle. 

A lot of people are still convinced of the case for cuts, the alternative point of view has not been convincingly put yet.  Any new campaign to convince people that the cuts are misguided, too fast and too deep needs to use Saturday as a starting point to win popular support.

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