Militants attacked Nottinghamshire County Hall in West Bridgford last Wednesday night. “Fuck austerity!” and “Fight the cuts!” were painted on walls and damage was done to windows. In an anonymous communique published on Notts Indymedia, they claim that they will “continue to attack in solidarity with all those who are abused by goverments and banks in the name of capitalism”.
According to the Nottingham Evening Post, the Tory leader of Notts County Council, Kay Cutts, described the action as “absolutely disgraceful”. She didn’t comment on the planned £72m cuts to adult social care over the next 4 years that the Council unveiled today. It doesn’t seem to be a view shared by all of her staff. Some were seen taking photos of the graffiti this morning.
The plan to make enormous cuts to adult social care will involve “helping people stay in their homes” i.e. denying them residential care, cutting funding for sheltered housing and women’s refuges and making it even harder to qualify for a personal budget. It will be harder to find out what you are still entitled to – the welfare rights service will also be axed. Despite all of the politicians’ rhetoric, these cuts are going to hit precisely the most vulnerable groups in society.
Those responsible for the County Hall action said that theirs was “a small gesture” which was part of a larger refusal of “the way things are”. “The system is killing us and we must fight back.”
The above article is taken from Notts Indymedia. An online poll has also been set up to gather viewpoints on this sort of action. This is surely not the kind of Big Budget Conversation NCC leaders had in mind.
Recent articles from Nottingham Evening Post on County Cuts:
- Library cutbacks will hit children and those without computers say visitors, Saturday 16th October 2010
- Anger over county council cuts proposals as Notts charities face ‘devastation’, Friday 15th October 2010
- Notts County Council set to save £72m on adult social care in next four years, Thursday 14th October 2010
- Day centres set to close under plans to save cash, Thursday 14th October 2010
- Where the county council cuts will be made in adult services, Thursday 14th October 2010
- County council reveals plans for £28.5 million in cuts, Wednesday 13th October 2010
- Notts County Council to reveal where millions of pounds of cuts are to be made, Monday 11th October 2010