Coalition of Resistance statement

It is time to organise a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem government's budget intentions. They plan the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s, which will wreck the lives of millions by devastating our jobs, pay, pensions, NHS, education, transport, postal and other services. The government claims the cuts are unavoidable because the welfare state has been too generous. This is nonsense. Ordinary people are being forced to pay for the bankers' profligacy.

The £11bn welfare cuts, rise in VAT to 20%, and 25% reductions across government departments target the most vulnerable – disabled people, single parents, those on housing benefit, black and other ethnic minority communities, students, migrant workers, LGBT people and pensioners. Women are expected to bear 75% of the burden. The poorest will be hit six times harder than the richest. Internal Treasury documents estimate 1.3 million job losses in public and private sectors.

We reject this malicious vandalism and resolve to campaign for a radical alternative, with the level of determination shown by trade unionists and social movements in Greece and other European countries.

This government of millionaires says "we're all in it together" and "there is no alternative". But, for the wealthy, corporation tax is being cut, the bank levy is a pittance, and top salaries and bonuses have already been restored to pre-crash levels.

An alternative budget would place the banks under democratic control, and raise revenue by increasing tax for the rich, plugging tax loopholes, withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, abolishing the nuclear "deterrent" by cancelling the Trident replacement.

An alternative strategy could use these resources to: support welfare; develop homes, schools, and hospitals; and foster a green approach to public spending – investing in renewable energy and public transport, thereby creating a million jobs.

We commit ourselves to:

• Oppose cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services.

• Fight rising unemployment and support organisations of unemployed people.

• Develop and support an alternative programme for economic and social recovery.

• Oppose all proposals to "solve" the crisis through racism and other forms of scapegoating.

• Liaise closely with similar opposition movements in other countries.

• Organise information, meetings, conferences, marches and demonstrations.

• Support the development of a national co-ordinating coalition of resistance.



We urge those who support this statement to attend the Organising Conference on 27 November 2010 (10am-5pm), at Camden Centre, Town Hall, London, WC1H 9JE.

Can't Pay! Won't Pay!



Signed:

Tony Benn,

Caroline Lucas MP

John McDonnell MP

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Mark Serwotka, general secretary PCS

Bob Crow, general secretary RMT

Jeremy Dear, general secretary NUJ

Michelle Stanistreet, deputy general secretary, NUJ

Frank Cooper, president of the National Pensioners Convention

Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention

Ken Loach

John Pilger

John Hendy QC

Mark Steel

Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary NUT

Cllr Salma Yaqoob

Lee Jasper, joint co-ordinator of Black Activists Rise Against Cuts (Barac)

Zita Holbourne, joint co-ordinator of Barac campaign and PCS national executive

Ashok Kumar, VP education and welfare, LSE student union

Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper

Francis Beckett, author

David Weaver, chair, 1990 Trust

Viv Ahmun, director Equanomics UK

Paul Mackney, former general secretary NATFHE/UCU

Clare Solomon, president ULU student union

Lindsey German, convenor, Stop the War Coalition (personal capacity)

Andrew Burgin, archivist

John Rees, Counterfire

Romayne Phoenix, Green party

Joseph Healy, secretary Green Left

Fred Leplat, Islington Unison

Jane Shallice

Neil Faulkner, archaeologist and historian

Alf Filer, Socialist Resistance

Chris Nineham

James Meadway, economist

Cherry Sewell, UCU

Alan Thornett, Socialist Resistance

Peter Hallward, professor of modern European philosophy

Matteo Mandarini, Historical Materialism editorial board

John Nicholson, secretary Convention of the Left

Michael Chessum, UCL union education and campaigns officer

Mark Curtis, writer

Nick Broomfield

Sean Rillo Raczka, chair, Birkbeck College student union, and mature students' representative, NUS national executive

Robyn Minogue, UoArts NUS officer

Prince Johnson, NUS president Institute of Education

Roy Bailey, Fuse Records

Doug Nicholls

Granville Williams

Gary Herman (CPBF national council member, in personal capacity)

Louis Hartnoll, president UoArts student union

Sarah Ruiz, former Respect councillor and community activist in Newham

Michael Gavan

Mary Pearson, National Union of Teachers, vice president Birmingham Trades Union Council

Joe Glenholmes, Unison, life member Birmingham Trades Union Council

Baljeet Ghale, NUT past president

Jane Holgate, chair of Hackney Unite and secretary of Hackney TUC

Marshajane Thompson, Labour Representation Committee NC

Richard Kuper

Chris Baugh, PCS assistant general secretary

Trevor Phillips, campaigner

Stathis Kouvelakis, UCU, King's College London

Carole Regan

Bernard Regan

Roger Kline

Hugh Kerr, former MEP

Nina Power, senior lecturer in philosophy Roehampton University

Norman Jemmison, NATFHE past president, NPC

Kitty Fitzgerald, poet and novelist

Iain Banks, author

Arthur Smith, comedian

David Landau

Anne Orwin, actor



To sign up please send an email to http://www.blogger.com/coalitionofresistan%20ce@mail.com and include your name.



Thank you

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