Thousands march on Parliament in anti-government protest - BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40468881



It's just sad that it took a horrendous few months for people to wake the fcuk up...

Pfft. A million people marched to stop the gulf war, they did it anyway. Thousands? They ignore thousands every day before breakfast.

May went back on her word, when she said she'd quit if she lost six seats in the election - somehow, I don't think a bunch of angry folk with placards will suddenly make her see the light.

I'm hopeful that this will be a catalyst, that's all.

i would not be hopeful in that department. but Brexit is still very much on track ...

...and 13,669,883 people voted for it (the government / austerity) about a month ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2017/results

well, in total, a lot more than that didn't (i.e the conservatives didn't get anywhere near 50% of votes cast). So that obviously means austerity should be binned.

However, that kind of statement is sophistry. The general election was not a refendum on whatever single issue we're discussing at the time. People vote for who they vote for for a variety of reasons, both national and local. The idea everyone who voted Tory voted for this specific policy this week (and that specific policy when we're discussing something else next week) is childish logic in the extreme.

The conservatives manage to form a government - admittedly though an extraordinarily shoddy and morally questionable deal - so they get to push their agenda. However that doesn't mean everyone just has to sit down and let them get on with it. That's not how democracy works. People have a right to protest about issues they disagree with the government on and if they make enough noise and get enough support, a wise government does well to take notice. Protests don 't actually tend to die off on their own, unless mitigated they tend to get noisier.

I doubt there has been a single (post war) Government that has had 50%+ of the vote (using our 1st past the post system).

True they voted for a range of policies but that included austerity. IF they cared enough about austerity then they would have voted differently


The conservatives did a deal (which ironically is what would happen all the time if we went full PR)
I never said that people did not have the right to protest just that after just (and just) winning the election - even as the biggest loser - they are not going to listen to a "measly" couple of thousand of which a good percentage will be (in their eyes)"The usual suspects"

I see the government is finally getting around to denying this pay rise momentum from it's ministers. Meanwhile some of the service staff at the BoE are walking out for the first time in 50 years...

It may come down to pay rises over events Corbyn can capitalise on. The Tory ministers know they need an insurance policy now before David Davis does any more u-turns in Brussels, but more importantly, before the 'literally can't get the staff' stories really take hold (nurses, teachers, army etc).

on the nurses and doctors issue or anything else in regard to the NHS its pre-booking privatisation along with education the armed forces have always taken a hit under the Tories even if there is a war.

the way to destroy any major well run organisation is over load it with management then cut funding especially in regard to wages and working conditions. then allow anybody and everybody to use the service free at the point of use to overload the system. which will thereby hit recruitment making sure that the well run organisation hits the basement. its a tried and trusted way to finish any big organisation, it just takes time for it to work. its a long term thing which they have enacted very successfully ...

So after I explained why that argument was rubbish, you decided to repeat it? well done. There is no evidence whatsoever that the reason most people who voted conservative did so because they agreed with the principles and implementation of austerity. None Whatsoever.
You can assume that because austerity was one of the Torys' more long standing policies that's what decided people's minds, But frankly you're effectively making that up. i can claim it was because the majority of people wanted a return of fox hunting with dogs with just as much veracity (i.e. none).

We don't know why people voted as they did. We may get some general idea over time s the limited research we are allowed to do. But now, a couple of weeks after the election? We may as well say they voted Tory because the liked the colour blue for all we know.

I suppose one indicator might be if the government announces it's going to renounce austerity (don't hold your breath..) and there are protests demanding they keep it. Then we can compare numbers. I don't really expect a lot of people to protest giving firefighters and nurses more money though.