A new group that is opposed to the coalition government’s cuts, titled “Lincoln Stop the Cuts”, was formed at a public meeting.
Around 30 people attended the meeting held on Thursday evening, November 25th, at Friends Meetings House, Park Street.
It was organised by Lincoln & District Trades Council. Those present consisted of students, union members, and members of the general public.
The group managed to establish four main consensus points, that are as follows:
- To be open to all those in the Lincoln area who want to oppose cuts, but to also work with those against cuts in the county, region, country, and across the world.
- To seek to unite all people who want to oppose cuts, regardless of their gender, religion, disability, sexuality, race or age. To oppose all forms of oppression.
- To oppose all cuts in jobs, services, pay, pensions, tuition fees and benefits in the short, medium and long term.
- The group also appointed a steering committee consisting of eight members, two of these are Union representatives.
Nick Parker, chair of the meeting and union representative, commented on the effectiveness of the meeting, saying it was an “excellent launch” and that it was a “fraternal debate, where any disagreements were democratically resolved”.
Gareth Hart, a partnership development manager for the Schools-Sports Partnership scheme, spoke of how the cuts affected his area of work and said that the group could “galvanise support, and allow the average person in the street to relate.”
Valery Wilkinson, a Quaker, said that the group contained “a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and worthwhile ideals”.
The group discussed several creative protest ideas, and stressed the need for unity between the large, diverse group of people who all oppose cuts in government spending.