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Nuneaton BranchNuneaton Socialist Party & Nuneaton Against Cuts welcome the Jarrow2London marchers! Labour Mayor joins welcome party but locals continue to defect to Socialists...
On Thursday 20th October the Jarrow2London marchers left Hinckley and arrived in Nuneaton, where they were met by representatives of local trade union branches, Nuneaton Socialist Party and Nuneaton Against Cuts. After leafletting the JobCentre, Library and the three Higher Education colleges we assembled outside North Warks & Hinckley College, where the marchers' chants of "Bring back EMA! Take it out the bankers pay!" were applauded and taken up by students who joined us as we marched into town. Passing drivers and other students from Etone and KEGS also showed their support. The marchers and local supporters then rallied for a photo-call with local press at the George Eliot statue. The marchers then retired back to The Railway Tavern for a welcome hot meal prepared by their hosts from the anti-cuts group, and funded by local Unite branches. At the public meeting to welcome the marchers fraternal greeting and thanks were given by representatives of Nuneaton Socialist Party, Nuneaton Against Cuts, Unite, RMT, Unison, CYWU & NUT. The message of support received from Ken Loach - Nuneaton's finest socialist filmmaker! - was passed on to great applause. Nuneaton branch members also spoke about forthcoming struggles over the George Eliot hospital. Matt Dobson from Youth Fight for Jobs then gave a barn-storming speech laying out the marchers' perspective and demands. It obviously worked because the meeting ended with one local young woman speaking up for the first time about the importance of getting involved in the anti-cuts movement. The meeting was followed by live music by young local musicians who had volunteered to play for the marchers.Mayor Neal Philips, who had been unable to accept our invitation to offer an official welcome on behalf of the Borough Council, came in a personal capacity and met with some of marchers, adding his signature to the petition they are taking to Downing Street. The march to Coventry on Friday morning left in good spirits after a hearty breakfast again prepared by The Railway Tavern, and we were again greeted along our route with car driver's horns and vocal support from passing workers and students. The march to Coventry took us through Bedworth and Exhall, and while we stopped for lunch at a burger bar a local contact pulled up in his car - wanting to finally join the Socialist Party! He had with him the newsletter from his local Labour Party branch and pointed out that its praise for Miliband's condemnation of benefit cheats and drug addicts had finally convinced him that getting involved with positive campaigns like the Jarrow march was what he should be doing! For more information on the march including a daily blog written by marchers visit www.jarrowmarch11.com or www.youthfightforjobs.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "GENERAL STRIKE! GENERAL STRIKE!" On Sunday September 11th members of Nuneaton Socialist Party and comrades from Nuneaton Against the Cuts joined forces with hundreds of other trade unionists and community campaigners from across the UK in demanding that the TUC set a date for co-ordinated strike action over pensions by all public sector unions. As Frances O'Grady, deputy general secretary of the TUC, accepted the National Shop Stewards Network petition from Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist, the cry of "General strike!" was taken up by the crowds outside Congress House - making clear once again the mood for action amongst the grassroots union activists now working together in the NSSN.
A full report can be found on the SP website: www.socialistparty.org.uk
NUNEATON SOCIALIST PARTY Next branch meeting: Wednesday 21st September, upstairs at The Crown "The origins of the Labour Party and the struggle for a new worker's party today"
NUNEATON AGAINST CUTS Saturday 25th June saw the second monthly campaign day by Nuneaton Against Cuts, a group of local trade unionists and community activists who were joined for the day by Dave the Dalek to "exterminate the cuts!" Join us on THURSDAY 28th JULY for our next meeting (Bentley Road Sports & SocialClub) and SATURDAY 30th JULY for our next campaign day.
A full report on the day is available on our new blog: http://nuneatonagainstcuts.wordpress.com. More images from the day, including Dave the Dalek's close encounter with the New Labour Lord Mayor of Nuneaton.
STRIKE DAY PUBLIC MEETING Nuneaton Against Cuts hold their next public meeting on Thursday 30th June, the same day that 750,000 teachers, lecturers and civil servants strike to protect their pensions. This meeting is our first joint meeting with Hinckley Save Our Services, and we have speakers from the NUT & PCS, reports from the Hardest Hit march etc. We will also be planning for upcoming campaign days and the YouthRock4Jobs gig in July. 7.30 pm Thursday 30th June Bentley Road Sports & Social Club
Nuneaton Socialists stand TUSC candidate in Barpool byelection Nuneaton Socialist Party are proud to announce that Tom Sidwell will stand as a TUSC (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition) candidate in the Barpool byelection on May 5th 2011. This is a timely opportunity for working people in Nuneaton to elect someone who will represent their interests on a Council dominated by New Labour careerists and Tories who want to destroy the welfare state. It's especially important because Nuneaton's New Labour council have just accepted a £1.6m cut in their funding from the Con-Dem government. we all expect the Tories and their hangers-on to attack ordinary people, but New Labour also prefer to cut jobs and services rather than fight back. The big pro-capitalist parties all agree that we must pay for their crisis, so for people in Barpool and Nuneaton generally this means -
Fighting the cuts in Nuneaton  Thursday the 3rd of March saw the formation of Nuneaton Against the cuts through a lively and open meeting at a community centre in the town. Nuneaton socialist party members convened the meeting after weeks of campaigning and received a turn out of 25 members of the public, which wasn't at all bad for a cold, rainy weeknight!Speakers included Steve Gee- a PCS national organiser, Lenny Shail on behalf of Coventry against the cuts and James Olner who spoke about his job as a youth worker and the fight to stop the complete destruction of the youth service county wide. Many local trade unionists were in attendance, including the local authority convenor for the unite union and a representative from the MS society, who was concerned about the ConDem ravaging of the NHS. A statement of aims was voted on and passed unanimously pledging that the group would aim to unite all local anti-cuts campaigns and stand against every sacking and every cut back. The need to tackle the local Labour council on voting through Tory cuts was also addressed. A provisional committee was formed, and pledged to adopt the slogan "Not a single penny cut, not a single job lost!" Tom Sidwell, Nuneaton Stands Together Against the EDL
In amongst the ideological melee of Casuals United football firms, Daily Star readers and old NBP nazis there is a recognisable complaint about deteriorating social conditions. Our close encounters with local EDL members out leafletting showed them to be fixated on poppy-burning (i./e. media-led) but not ideological in the way that previous far-right organisations have been. Our contacts at HopeNot Hate warn that they are a new 'social movement' rather than a new political force but predict that massive injections of US corporate funding to populist anti-Islam groups across Europe could transform them to much larger players than they currently are. Regardless of this, the EDL will remain a violent threat to Muslims, Asian communities, and increasingly to the wider public. but if they plan to march in towns and cities where Socialists and anti-racists are organised, they should expect to meet firm resistance.
Follow updates on our Facebook page – search ‘Nuneaton Anti-Fascist Alliance’ or click here Also visit the Nuneaton Anti-Fascist Alliance blog by clicking here PROTEST AGAINST THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE ON SATURDAY 27th NOVEMBER! On Saturday 27th November the English Defence League (EDL) will march and rally in Nuneaton town centre. This will be their fourth visit in two months. The Borough Council tell people to "keep calm and carry on shopping" and local community 'leaders' are unwilling to show their opposition. It would be great if ignoring the EDL would make them go away but in fact it's the lack of strong public opposition which gives them confidence to return and organise here. Nuneaton Anti-Fascist Alliance, in which the Socialist Party plays a leading role, calls on everyone who opposes the racist provocations of the EDL to stand up for their town, stand up against the EDL's bully tactics - and publicly show their opposition. Protest against the EDL on Saturday 27th November - assemble 12 noon in Church Street car park [this change to previous time advised by Police]. This is a safe, central location which Warwickshire Police have identified for us to use. We are in constant communication with the Police and they fully support the public's right to express our opposition to the EDL. Please bring your banners, placards and noisemakers!
PUBLIC MEETING: THURSDAY 25th NOVEMBER STAND UP FOR NUNEATON! STAND UP AGAINST THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE! 7pm Thursday 25th November at The Khalifa Centre, 121 Edward Street CV11 5RD. Invited speakers include Suleman Nagdi from the Leicester Federation of Muslim Organisations, Leicester City Council, Hope Not Hate, Nuneaton Anti-Fascist Alliance & Warwickshire Police. Unite the community against those who would divide us! All welcome.
Community must organise against racism Recently in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, there has been a flurry of activity by the racist and hooligan English Defence League (EDL). Tom Sidwell, secretary Nuneaton Anti-Fascist Action and Nuneaton Socialist Party
Later that day at a local pub near the heart of the Asian community, there was a tense standoff between Asian residents and EDL sympathisers. The police arrested an EDL member who threw a bottle. After this incident, local socialists, trade unionists and anti-fascists formed Nuneaton Anti Fascist Action (NAFA). We organised a public meeting to prepare for the EDL's impending return on Sunday 26 September for a similar parade of the Gurkha regiment. The meeting was well attended by representatives of many parties, religions and trade unions, despite internet threats by the EDL to disrupt any meetings we held. We organised a rally in the Asian community to show solidarity and to show that the EDL's brand of ignorant hatred would not be tolerated in our town. Approximately 30 people turned up for the rally including local young people. We forged links to discuss further action to keep the EDL and other far right groups at bay in the future. While we were engaging the community, the town centre was an extremely unpleasant place to be. There were around 150-200 EDL supporters with a huge police presence and small pockets of EDL walking around abusing anyone Asian they saw. There were seven arrests on the day (all EDL) for public order offences, two of which featured offensive weapons. NAFA will continue to meet and organise against far right activity in our usually peaceful town.
Tell the EDL they’re not welcome in Nuneaton! Build community solidarity against racists and fascists! Unite to fight the cuts, for decent jobs and homes, not racism and division!
The Nuneaton Socialist Party condemns the racist hooliganism of the English Defence League and congratulates the local community in standing firm against their attempts to provoke violence in our town. Despite the drink-fuelled noise they make, they have very little support from ordinary people – even the local BNP councillor won’t publicly support them! The EDL have nothing to offer ordinary people, of any background. Their agenda is one of exploiting tensions caused by the establishment parties’ support for big business – they weaken our battle to defend jobs, education and our standard of living. At the moment workers of all religions and ethnic backgrounds are under attack from a government which wants to drag social conditions back to the 1920s. The EDL do nothing but distract disillusioned sections of the working class into attacking their neighbours instead of concentrating on their real enemies – the Con-Dem coalition who want to destroy the welfare state that workers built and rely on. We stand against all cuts to public services and for solidarity between workers of all backgrounds – for jobs and homes not racism! Nuneaton has now had a taste of what the EDL are all about, and we need to prepare for their return – they are already discussing another ‘flash mob’ provocation to follow the homecoming parade for The Gurkhas next Sunday, 26th September. Also, their activities here may provoke some of the local BNP to return to street-fighting after the failure of their electoral ambitions. We need to build a broad-based community campaign group that can respond quickly and effectively in opposing them. Nuneaton Socialist Party is prepared to work with anyone in the community who wants to peacefully protest against the presence of racists and fascists in our town. PLAN FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST ON SUNDAY 26th SEPTEMBER ************************************************************************************ Who are the EDL & what do they want in Nuneaton? The English Defence League are an off-shoot of the racist & fascist British National Party, a group with a long track record of violent neo-Nazi politics. Following the failure of the ‘respectable’ BNP in the last election the rise of the EDL indicates a return to street-fighting tactics, as they try to mobilise disillusioned workers and semi-criminal elements in order to provoke violence amongst Muslim communities. Their founder, ex-BNP member Tommy Johnson, makes a very good living selling T-shirts and other EDL merchandise to his supporters – it’s a cynical racket based on promoting hate! In these times of economic uncertainty groups like the EDL attract support by offering an easy scapegoat for the social and economic problems experienced by ordinary people. Apart from the hardcore agitators most of their support comes from workers who feel betrayed by mainstream politics - if there were decent jobs and homes for all they would have no support. Also, because of Britain’s involvement in the so-called ‘War on Terror’, Muslim communities have already been targeted as ‘the enemy within’ by the government, security services and the tabloid press –and the EDL simply follow this official ‘Islamophobia.’ The EDL have very little support in Nuneaton and have to bring in their agitators from elsewhere. Their sole aim is to provoke the Muslim community, particularly the youth, into violence. We call on everyone to stand firm against this provocation – don’t give the EDL the propaganda victory they seek! STAND UP AGAINST THE EDL! JOIN NUNEATON ANTI-FASCIST ACTION!
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SOCIALISTS UNITED FOR EDUCATION MARCH IN NUNEATON
 On Monday 21st June several members of the Nuneaton branch joined staff from North Warwickshire & Hinckley College (NWHC) in their ‘handshake march’ between the two sites. Our show of solidarity was noted and appreciated, and although it was a fairly low-key protest, we made some good contacts with staff and union reps from UNISON and UCU. They said they had worked very hard to get the 20+ people out, but that they thought more people would see the need for more militant action once the exact terms of the redundancies at the college were spelled out, and once the effects of the budget on people’s living standards became clear. However, it was clear that the union branches involved were fairly ‘genteel’ (in their own words) and had no clear idea how the ‘United for Education’ campaign would continue beyond this single event. Although there was no proper rally and we had no opportunity to address the marchers collectively with our perspective, members spoke informally to the lecturers from both sites, and sold one copy of our paper. We were able to spread the word about our People’s Day of Protest on June 30th, when we are lobbying both the local Hospital Trust and the local Council about plans to close two wards, and certainly planted the seeds for the future development of a broader anti-cuts campaign involving unions across the public sector. One union rep also raised the possibility of starting Nuneaton’s own Trade Council, an idea she had heard from another shop steward our branch has been in contact with.
Overnight Cuts to Council Services: The Shape of Things to Come in the Con/Dem Nation? We’ve repeatedly heard the government say that although the forthcoming cuts will be ‘savage’, the most vulnerable in society will be protected. Yet only weeks after the election it is becoming clear who their first victims will be. In Nuneaton they’ve targeted people already under stress and on the edge of society, snatching away one of their few chances of empowerment. The PASTELS day centre in Nuneaton provided support for people who experience social exclusion, long term unemployment, broken family life, anxiety, depression or other similar conditions. As well as counselling adults, the staff and volunteers provided advice, comfort and stress management services for vulnerable school children. But in a cloak and dagger style "back door cut" this service was withdrawn by Nuneaton & Bedworth Council with little more than 24 hours notice. Towards the end of May, my colleague accompanied a young man from the school she works at to his third counselling session of a six-part programme. Immediately after his session, my colleague was informed that as of the following day the service would cease to exist. This underhand cut to a discreet yet vital public service has left many already vulnerable people even more isolated and distressed, particularly since some were part-way through a potentially life-changing course. The Socialist Party branch in Nuneaton has already launched a campaign against cuts at our local hospital, but events like this point to the need for a broader campaign against all cuts to public services, a campaign which needs to involve trade unionists and community groups. We call on all concerned citizens to join us on Wednesday 30th June for the Nuneaton People’s Protest Day. 3.00pm at the Raveloes Conference Room, George Eliot Hospital. Join us in lobbying the Hospital Trust at its public board meeting – let’s demand they be honest with people about what they’re planning, and let’s tell them it’s unacceptable! 5.30pm at the Town Hall: Join us in lobbying our councillors at the Town Hall – let’s demand they support our campaign and fight to defend public services, not carry out the government’s cuts!
by Tom Sidwell
Campaign against cuts at George Eliot announces People’s Day of Protest on June 30th
Since early May a campaign has been growing in Nuneaton against the proposed cuts at George Eliot Hospital. Local people are very concerned about plans to shut two wards and double the car park charges, and also that hospital bosses refuse to deny reports that they plan to close the Maternity Block. Already seven hundred people have joined the FaceBook group ‘Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts,’ and campaigners have been out talking to the public, gathering hundreds of signatures from people who oppose the cuts.
At the most recent campaign meeting it was decided to take the protests directly to the people threatening our services. Both George Eliot Hospital Trust and Nuneaton & Bedworth Council are holding meetings on Wednesday 30th June, so it was decided to promote a People’s Day of Protest in order to make our voices heard by both the NHS bosses and our local politicos.
3.00pm at the Raveloes Conference Room, George Eliot Hospital. Join us in lobbying the Hospital Trust at its public board meeting – let’s demand they be honest with people about what they’re planning, and let’s tell them any cuts are unacceptable!
5.30pm at the Town Hall: Join us in lobbying our councillors at the Town Hall – let’s demand they support our campaign and fight to defend public services, not carry out the government’s cuts!
For more info and updates on the campaign please join the FaceBook group: “Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts – Defend George Eliot Hospital,” or contact us by ‘phone on: 07964632023.
Thursday 27th May: OUR PUBLIC SERVICES CON/DEM –ED?
To kick-start the campaign against the cuts at George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton Socialist Party opened up its regular branch meeting to the public, attracting a new layer of local people we’d met from our campaign stalls and via the FaceBook group. We also invited several people who had been involved with the People’s Protest Group and PUSH (People United Saving Hospitals) who successfully fought back against a similar round of cuts five years ago. There was a definite sense that people in the community are scared and angry about the scale of the cuts. One shared opinion was that this is only the beginning of the ‘savage cuts’ that the three major parties promised during the election, and that in the future we may have to look at building a broader campaign to protect all public services in our area.
The point was made that these cuts are not due to waste or inefficiency within the NHS or public sector, but are part of paying off the deficit caused by the banking crisis, i.e. the government bailed out the mistakes of the financial elite with taxpayer’s money and now looks to claw that back by slashing public services. As several people pointed out, after gutting the NHS they’ll turn their axe on schools, libraries, council services, fire stations & Post Offices. And of course it is frontline services and the low-paid workers who provide them who are in the firing line, not the executives and management consultants on bloated salaries, the wasteful bureaucracy or the guaranteed profits of the privatisers.
But Nuneaton people are determined to fight back. Our immediate plans are to publicise the campaign through the media, via our FaceBook group and on our campaign stalls, building towards another public meeting at The Hatter’s Space on Wednesday 9th June where we will announce plans for a demonstration in Nuneaton town centre.
Join the FaceBook Group: “Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts – Defend George Eliot Hospital” or “Nuneaton Socialist Party” Contact us by email at: NuneatonSocialistParty@gmail.com or phone/text: 07964632023 Tuesday 18th May: Stop the cuts at George Eliot Hospital
Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital plans to shut two wards – at the same time that they are doubling the hated car park charges! NHS bosses say shutting these wards and “streamlining patient care so they spend less time in hospital” (i.e. more cuts to services) will save money – but what about providing the healthcare that local people actually need?
Hospital bosses are also refusing to deny reports that they plan to close the Maternity Block, which they wanted to do 5 years ago under the Acute Services Review. Nuneaton’s Special Care Baby Unit and Caterina ward were only saved from the axe by the actions of local people who campaigned to save them. The Socialist Party was active in the People’s Protest Group and PUSH (People United Saving Hospitals) and we’ve had a great response to our campaign against the obscene profits made from car park charges.
This is only the beginning of the ‘savage cuts’ that all 3 major parties promised during the election. Their local politicos may pose as sympathetic but only the ordinary people of Nuneaton, organised together, can stop these cuts to our NHS. Join the fightback now!
PUBLIC MEETING TO START THE FIGHTBACK! 7.30 Wednesday 26th May The Hatter’s Space, Upper Abbey St, CV11 5DN Tues 13th April: Nuneaton Socialists make a stand in local elections
Nuneaton Socialist Party members have chosen Steve Gee to stand in the Bar Pool ward in the local elections on May 6th. Steve is an activist in the PCS civil service union and a leader member of the group fighting cut backs at George Eliot Hospital, he has also led the recent campaign against rip-off car parking charges at both the Eliot and Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry.
Steve Gee warns Nuneaton people, "Are your local NHS services safe."
As Steve Gee explains: “I was a founder member, along with my wife Vanessa, of the Peoples Protest Group who organised the campaign to save services at the George Eliot Hospital.
Since the Acute Services Review of 2006 services have slowly been lost to Walsgrave Hospital but there’s been a total silence from local politicians of all parties . Recently all children’s emergencies were going to Coventry because of staff not having proper training, parking charges at Walsgrave are obscene (you may have seen us in town campaigning against the charges ) and the private company there made almost £3m last year from charhing patients, visitors and staff to park. Not far away in Solihull the maternity unit is threatened. If elected I would use my position to highlight all the cuts and organise a campaign against them.
New Labour and the Tories both adore the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and other privatisation schemes like the partial privatisation of Royal Mail which the Socialist Party have been campaigning against. Steve Gee and the Socialist Party say no to PFIs in Nuneaton and pledge to fight for a well-financed, publicly run and funded health service in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and throughout the UK."
If you can help in the campaign in any way please contact us at nuneatonsocialistparty@gmail.com or ring/text 07964632023.
Thurs 11th March: Watch Out! More Cuts are Coming!
Whoever wins the next election, the new government will attempt to claw back all the money spent on bailing out the bankers through cuts to public services. The three main parties are simply competing to see who wields the axe. Ordinary working-class voters haven’t benefited one bit from New Labour’s embrace of the financial markets and their casino economics, so why should we pay to keep them afloat? The Socialist Party is the only party with a proven track record of resisting cuts to public services, and we campaign on the slogan “We won’t pay for your crisis!”
To read all the news from Nuneaton Socialist Party click here
Nuneaton Socialist Party branch meetings take place every two weeks on Wednesday evenings starting at 7.00pm. If you would like to attend one of our meetings or would like more information about the Socialist Party in Nuneaton then please ring or text us on 07964632023 or contact us using the form below.
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We have no rich backers and all our money comes from donations from ordinary working class people.
To visit/join the Nuneaton Socialist Party Facebook group click here
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On Saturday 27
The local SP branch has taken the lead in 
Although future marches may be banned because of this weekend’s violence, there is no doubt that the EDL are targeting Nuneaton and that they will return, either for an official rally or for another ‘flash mob’ demo, possibly again hi-jacking a homecoming parade for local regiments. Although many of us would prefer to be working on the anti-cuts campaign (there’s less chance of having fireworks thrown at you by Labour councillors
On 12 September the Royal Fusiliers army regiment were granted freedom of Nuneaton and Bedworth borough. There were rumours of a local EDL presence on the day to cheer home the troops as the pre-ceremony parade marched through the town centre. Some 40-50 EDL supporters from across the Midlands turned out.