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From The Socialist newspaper, 22 March 2017
East London demonstration against A&E closure
photo Pete Mason (Click to enlarge)
Dave Carr, East London Socialist Party
Several hundred demonstrators, including health workers, marched through Ilford on 18 March to stop the closure of the nearby King George hospital A&E department.
Under the Tories' sustainability and transformation plans cuts programme the A&E will close at nights from September and permanently by 2019 with the loss of 240 acute beds. This has provoked anger from people in east London who understand that King George's neighbouring hospitals are also facing hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts by 2020.
Socialist Party placards and leaflets calling for more protests, strikes and occupations to save NHS services were snapped up by marchers who rallied at Ilford town hall for speeches.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
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In The Socialist 22 March 2017:
What we think
Tory splits brought to the surface - Corbyn must go on the attack
Socialist Party news and analysis
Tories scrap housing benefit for under-21s
Fight Tory attacks on women and children
Socialists demand reply to Livingstone's smear of Militant
International socialist news and analysis
Northern Ireland: divisive election a warning
Jobstown Not Guilty: defend the right to protest
Netherlands: Heavy defeat for austerity government
Yemen: families left to starve by multinationals
Workplace news and analysis
Merseyrail guard found not guilty of "endangering safety"
End the seven-year public sector pay cap!
Aslef offer: unity needed with the RMT
Battle steps up in Unite general secretary election
Derby TAs' strike suspended after new offer
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
March against racism: Refugee Rights has lively bloc
Biggest ever protest by Orgreave campaigners
Join the march against NHS cuts and privatisation in Cumbria
Battle for Wallsend walk-in NHS service
East London demonstration against A&E closure
Salford: International Women's Day meeting
Socialist readers' comments and reviews
"After seeing the branch's effect in the community, I decided to join"
'I'm writing this to tell you about the plight of disabled people'
Precise, visceral account of working class heroism
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