Demonstrate Against Cuts in Salford

Tuesday 21st February, 8:30am, 

Salford Civic Centre

 Salford Council will be setting its budget for 2012-13 on Tuesday 21st February. We have called this Demo because we are opposed to the cuts and we want the Council to know that they will continue to face opposition if they pass them and then seek to enforce them.

 We understand that the Government and the bankers they support are ultimately to blame, but we are still of the view that Salford Council is not doing enough to stand up to the Government and demand the investment Salford needs if we are to avoid another round of attacks on jobs and services.

If the many Local Authorities that claim to oppose these cuts (Salford being one of them) are not prepared to stand up to the Government then it is up to the unions, service users and the public to do so. If in doing that we have to challenge those authorities then so be it.

Two weeks ago we heard that plans to close at least two day centres for elderly people and those with learning disabilities were shelved for at least 12 months because of the anger ordinary people showed in opposing that attack on services for the most vulnerable. This shows what can be achieved.

However, the day centres are not safe forever and other services stand to be hit hard by this budget. Some examples:

·        £500k from Transport that is currently provided to help Children with Special Educational Needs get to school in the morning


·        Another £1m from Youth Services (something Councillor Merry told us he would seek to defend following last year’s riots)


·        Approximately £400k from Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Services at a time when more and more people are being forced out of work


·        Nearly £500k from the privatisation of homecare services


·        …and a massive £2m more from Adult Social Care under the auspices of “personalisation”.

At the same time more and more money goes to support the BBC and Peel Holdings…………..

We need to stand together and let the Council know that we will not simply stand by and allow these cuts to happen. At the same time our actions should send a message to the Government that we will fight their program of prosperity for the 1% and austerity for the 99% as long as we have to.

Please pass this message on and please reply to say if you can attend as we want to make sure we have enough placards, tabards etc.

I hope to see you there.


Thanks, Steve

Steven North
Secretary, Salford Against the Cuts