GUCU support for the People’s Assembly Demonstration on 26 June 2021
This branch notes:
- The UK has one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in the world.
- The Legatum Institute found that 700,000 people have been driven into poverty because of the Covid crisis.
- According to a recent BMA report: “the NHS in England has been forced down a route of increased marketisation and privatisation – and the Government has accelerated its aggressive outsourcing to private firms during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
- The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, amongst other things, allows police to place conditions on protest as a response to “the noise generated by persons taking part”. Those found to be in contravention of the Bill, which deems such actions a “serious annoyance” or “serious inconvenience”, are liable to be imprisoned for up to ten years.
This branch believes:
- This government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has been disastrous and has needlessly cost many lives.
- The Covid-19 crisis has disproportionately affected disabled people and those from Black and Asian communities.
- Corruption is now rife within this Tory government, with billions of pounds of public money handed to companies with direct links to government politicians.
- A crisis has been created in our NHS through years of underfunding and privatisation, and the proposed 1% pay rise to NHS workers is an insult.
- The marketisation of our schools is harming our children’s education and high university fees create unacceptable debt for students.
- Millions are now in jobs that are underpaid, unsafe and insecure.
- The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is a dangerous attack on our fundamental right to protest.
This branch resolves:
- To support the People’s Assembly ‘Demand A New Normal’ National Demonstration on Saturday, 26 June.
- To publicise the demonstration and its demands to all members and bring the branch banner to the demonstration.
- To make a donation to help with the costs of organising the national demonstration.