What do a group of people dressed as ‘Maybots’, a mock trident missile and a samba band have in common? They were all part of lively and noisy march through Leeds City Centre in anger at the Tory cutbacks to the NHS.
Iain Dalton, Leeds Socialist Party
Around 1,500 people joined the Yorkshire March for the NHS organised by Leeds Keep Our NHS Public and Health Campaigns Together on Saturday 14th April. Campaigns from Huddersfield, to Barnsley and York were all represented.
A key feature of the protest was the fight against ‘Wholly-owned subsidiaries’ which are springing up across the region, with staff ready to ballot for strike action at a number of hospitals.
But a number of legal challenges to NHS cuts and shake-ups are also due to be heard in Leeds in the next few months including one to the government’s Accountable Care Organisations and HandsOffHRI’s judicial review of the plans to close Huddersfield’s A&E.
Socialist Party members had a great response at the demo, distributing around 500 leaflets, marching behind the TUSC banner as well as taking part in Women’s Lives Matter and Hands Off HRI blocs, and selling over 50 copies of the Socialist and raising well over £100 for the Fighting Fund.
