Half a million strong!

Steve Murphy, left, Midlands Regional Secretary for Ucatt
 at the March for the Alternative

Last Saturday trade unionists, service users, and the just plain concerned marched through London to show their displeasure at the governments cuts programme. Early estimates that the March for the Alternative would see one hundred thousand people on the streets have been quickly revised up - to five times that number. It is a great testament to the people of Great Britain that so many people came from all over the country to join this historic TUC organised event.
The march was led by trade union leaders including the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber. Following our leaders were many thousands of midlands trade unionists from just about every affiliated trade union. Half a million people young and old,  black and white, all with the same message - rejecting the need for cuts and promoting an alternative which preserves services and jobs and keeps the economy driving forward.