A DEFIANT YET modest group of eight activists from Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance, Occupy Bath and B.A.R.F. anarchists, were all out in ‘force’ on the freezing night of Wednesday 5th December, leafleting with blue-tinged fingers, and bemoaning George Osborne’s mopey Autumn Statement. A statement that basically stated: “Yes, the evil Con-Dem austerity package has failed to turn around the economy’s nosedive” and “Yes, we’re gonna do at least another six years of the same, and feign surprise when it turns out it didn’t work”. As well as the recent years of frozen wages, ‘Workfare’ neo-slavery and dismantled public services, the new plan similarly attacks benefits, pensions and teachers’ unions. Meanwhile, the Sunday Times Rich List reported that the wealthiest 1,000 UK citizens have seen their fortunes increase by over £18 billion over the past year, to more than £414 billion – over a third of the national debt. Without meaning to state the obvious, but perhaps it’s about time for a bit of old-fashioned wealth redistribution?
