People's Assembly Against Austerity

I loved the grammar school system: I just scraped through my 11+ and loved the school I went to. My husband just failed his - he was allowed to sit it again but his gran, who brought him up said no - and he went to a dreadful, useless school.

I think those who pushed the comprehensive school system wanted to avoid that huge gap in opportunity between those who passed and those who failed. Tony Benn and the others got it wrong of course - they should have kept the grammar school system alongside comprehensives, giving the later developers the same opportunities as those who did well at age 11.

Sorry Sel - I think pious hypocrisy is much more of a right wing thing, such as cutting benefits while piously declaring it will push those undeserving poor into getting jobs - when there aren't enough jobs to go round.

Looking forward to hearing how the assembly went.

Could not agree more Stansgran!!!!!!

Wow Stansgran I could not agree more. Pious hypocrisy of the highest order. Only a few can soar now, those with money or connections.

As far as I'm concerned anything with tony benn in it should be taken with a long spoon. I loathe that man. I consider him a hypocrite of the first water. I know he was very comfortably off and yet was intrinsic in demolishing the grammar school system( which allowed people like my father and father in law drag themselves out of the poverty In which they were born) and yet which his granddaughter is able to choose to go into one of the few Grammar schools available ( st Albans) with the intention of going straight from university into politics and she will use her grandfathers name regardless of ability. There are s o many people who are trapped because of the narrow minded left wing we must keep everyone down rather than we must let people soar.

Two grans have registered for People's Assembly and booked B&B in London. Any like minded gran care to join us for a bite to eat on the Friday evening before the big day?

Eloethan

I apologise, my original post was to blueskies.

I do not apologise for the other part of my post. I admit I responded too quickly but I was so cross you said you thought I found the subject of the NHS 'Hilarious'. Now you think I was using a sarcastic undertone.

I guess some of us just rub one another up the wrong way.

POGS I did not make the statement "April the 1st we will no longer have our NHS ...". In fact, it was blueskies. The comments she made, whether you agree or disagree with them, were made with a great deal of sincerity and reflected a growing anxiety about the sort of situation that may await our children and grandchildren. I felt your response had an unnecessarily sarcastic undertone.

NFK I agree, probably most people within any organisation are initially resistant to change, particularly if they fear such change is going to adversely affect them. However, the sheer volume of people, including people who are not employed by the NHS, either directly or indirectly, who are expressing concern about the opening up of the NHS to more extensive privatisation must surely raise some doubts in your mind?

I did read today that April 1st is supposed to be the date that the NHS Helpline number 111 is supposed to replace the NHS Direct line for out of hours medical advice. Apparently it's been tested in certain areas in the UK and has been a resounding failure, but no one seems to know whether it's still going ahead nationwide or not...

Eloethan

I'll take a lot of stick on here but where on earth you come up with accusing me of finding the subject of the NHS 'HILARIOUS' I do not know.

If you have read my thread on the North Staffordshire Hospital Report you would note that it is a subject quite close to my heart. I sure as hell DO NOT find the subject remotely hilarious.

You made a very strong 'statement' when you said as of "April the 1st we will no longer have our NHS - ALL of it would be put put to tender". I thought my link was a fair point to make and I still do.

I've read back, but can't find any remarks to indicate hilarity by Pogs. Mild lightheartedness at most.

There are always medics opposed to change - they are only human and it's generally human nature to resist change. However, I too have heard nothing to indicate privatisation of the NHS on 1st April. But then I gave up reading national newspapers several years ago as they are all so outrageously biased and alarmist it's nigh on impossible to assertain the truth.

No idea how the repeat happened, a hand tremor perchance, or I thought I hand hadnt clicked properly and did it again, my apologies.

Eloethan, it is not the organisation of these two organisations that are so similar but there wonderful aspirational ideas, that few would argue with, but they never give any details about how much these aspirations would cost and how they would be financed. Phrases like 'Tax the rich'. Tax the bank' sound good but even if you could do these things without destroying the importance of London as a financial centre, and it is a major export and currency earner for the UK, the sum these taxes would bring in would be insignificant in comparison with the cost of these policies.

This article demonstrates the grave concern being expressed by mainstream and fairly conservative medical bodies.

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/02/doctors-bemoan-nhs-privatisation-by-stealth

Flickety I seem to recall that the SWAN posting was a list of proposals to be incorporated into the manifesto of a new party. No details were provided as to who was initiating the proposed movement or what organisations or individuals were supporting it. I believe the post and any related threads were deleted by Gransnet.

The People's Assembly describes itself as aspiring to build a movement for social justice and to provide a forum to develop links between a variety of like-minded organisations. The Assembly has clearly identified its current supporters, which include MPs, trades union leaders, journalists, doctors, charity heads, peace campaigners, etc., etc.

POGS You have no doubt read that a huge number of medical and nursing staff, together with health journalists and academics, have grave concerns about what will happen to the NHS when it becomes a market place. You obviously find it hilarious, but many people don't.

Me too

Flickety

OK OK I agreed with you the first time.

I have just looked at the link and, to be honest, I could not see how this group differed from SWAN or several other parties that have tried their luck on Gransnet.

It is a list of calls to action that are admirable but I cannot find anything on the site about how all these aims would be financed, how they would deal with our massive foreign debt or anything else remotely dealing with the fiscal implications of their policies. It reminds me of the way politicians ran the Greek economy, or the Italian or the Spanish, promise the world and to h**l with how it is to be paid for.

These are the economics of madness and would end with the country having the IMF forcing on us the kind of desperate cuts to welfare and benefits that Greece has had to face, with children being put into care by parents who can no longer afford to feed them and wuith pensioners begging in the streets.

I have just looked at the link and, to be honest, I could not see how this group differed from SWAN or several other parties that have tried their luck on Gransnet.

It is a list of calls to action that are admirable but I cannot find anything on the site about how all these aims would be financed, how they would deal with our massive foreign debt or anything else remotely dealing with the fiscal implications of their policies. It reminds me of the way politicians ran the Greek economy, or the Italian or the Spanish, promise the world and to h**l with how it is to be paid for.

These are the economics of madness and would end with the country having the IMF forcing on us the kind of desperate cuts to welfare and benefits that Greece has had to face, with children being put into care by parents who can no longer afford to feed them and wuith pensioners begging in the streets.

April the 1st we will no longer have our NHS ....all of it will be put out to tender.

I cannot argue with that comment as I may have missed something but I think that is so extreme a comment I can't wait for April 1st to come to see what happens.

Are you seriously saying every part of the NHS will be privatised on that date?

Yes,annodomini,it was inspiring. It was a three hour round trip for us because our buses no longer run on Sundays but it was worth it. We came away with hope. It is through forums such as this that we can educate others; we are not getting information from the press or radio/tv.

If we let our precious resources go without a struggle what a legacy that will leave our grandchildren.

I saw that Ken Loach film last week, blueskies. It was being simultaneously shown in dozens of cinemas across the country. It might just as well have been called 'The rise and fall of the welfare state'. I also highly recommend it.

On April 1st we will no longer have our NHS--all of it will be put out to tender. This is not an April Fool joke.Our Health Service has been deliberately run down and rubbished and now it is being asset stripped by people like Richard Branson.Why oh why are so many women (and men ) so politically illiterate that they fail to understand what is happening.

Please, try and see the documentary The Spirit of 45--- it spells it all out for you. How our water/gas/coal/ BT has been grabbed by the greedy. Most stood by and let it happen. People don't wish to strike it takes courage.It just takes hot air to bleat "leftie" or "communist".

What will happen to our grandchildren when they get sick and there is no credit left on the card? We have paid NI and Tax for years and years--that was to protect us from ill health and poverty in old age. Where has all that money gone? Invading other peoples countries and killing women and children.

We have to get off our knees and open our eyes and listen.

If I lived in the UK I would love to go to that conference. Social justice is so very important, and we could do without our efforts to bring about a fairer society being labeled communist. Meeting the likes of Benn, Loach and Pilger would be a bonus!!

Here in Australia I am part of the movement to fight against asset-sales and privatisation: these dreadful right wing policies cause so much harm, and once government assets are sold, the damage cannot be undone.

My long experience of watching politics has shown me that right wing policies are destructive and harmful.

Eloethan

I am quite happy to be corrected if I am wrong. You could well be right.

Looking at the list of people you mentioned in your OP it can hardly be deemed as a centre left group of folks though can it. I reiterate my comment, "each to his own".

If you go I hope you enjoy your day.

POGS You are mistaken. This Assembly was only proposed through the Guardian letters column on 5 February this year.

I was intrigued by your recollection and did a bit of research. Gordon Brown did deliver a speech in May 2010 to Citizens UK - an alliance of local community organizations bringing together churches, synagogues and mosques, schools, colleges, universities, GP surgeries, etc., etc. Perhaps this was what you recall.

By the way, "left wing" does not equal "communist" - not that I've got anything against communists but I'm sure most people who see themselves as politically on the left would not describe themselves as communists.

If I am not mistaken didn't Gordon Brown do a speech at a meeting of The People's Assembly during the last general election campaign?

'IF' it is the same, it is a left wing/communist ideological group.

Each to their own I agree. The OP does only state it is taking place and where.