THE Leicester Mercury is a notorious right-wing rag. It's a Tory spewpaper rather than a newspaper. When the public sector unions decided to organise a day of action against the cuts the local Tories and their press went berserk.
They orchestrated sustained 100-decibel campaign to slander by red smears those fighting the They tried to stop the distribution of anti-cuts leaflets. They lied about the campaigners' intentions. They threatened disciplinary action against employees.
Reasonable They claimed that the cuts were reasonable, and attacked the public sector unions for damaging the interests of children.
Anger has been mounting in Leicestershire for some time. The new school bus charges and meal prices increases; the sackings of ancillaries, crossing wardens, technicians and nursery assistants; and the freeze teacher replacements « ae reace school closures have all created a real hatred of the Tories.
Schools Teachers in Leicestershire decided on an official strike. Fifteen hundred teachers came out and shut down all the schools on 27 February.
In collaboration with hundreds of parents, the teachers distributed tens of half a Part of the large anti-cuts march in Leicester been part of their way of this local squirearchy which dominates Tory thinking in the dEca The day of action was a united all the strands of opposition to the Tories which exist in the labour movement.
actions such as these which prepare the way for a nationally coordinated struggle against the policies of this government.
----- pull-quotes -----
THE TORIES in Leicestershire had a sad and depressing day on Wednesday of last week. ALEX ACHESON explains why.