At the beginning of the year Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart, launched a petition "calling on David Cameron to sit down with an all-party delegation from Salford…to see how we can work together to mitigate the worst effects of austerity, protect the most vulnerable residents in Salford and enable our city to continue to grow..."
Since then only 761 people have signed the petition, and yesterday the delegation featuring Ian Stewart, Deputy Mayor David Lancaster, Tory opposition leader Karen Garrido, MPs Hazel Blears and Barbara Keeley, plus the President of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Phil Cusack, met, not with David Cameron but with Brandon Lewis MP, an Under Secretary in the Department of Communities and Local Government – a kind of statement of contempt from the ConDem Government.
"We need strong, well funded public services to support people to get the skills and qualifications they need to get into work, to improve their health and reduce the burden on the NHS and to care for the most vulnerable in our society" Stewart said before the meeting "That's the message I will be giving the government and discussing how, together, we can continue to move Salford forward."
While acknowledging disgust with the savage cuts of almost £100million imposed on Salford since the ConDem Government came to power, thousands of people have signed petitions against the Mayor's implementation of those cuts, which are targeting the most vulnerable people in the city.
For instance, in contrast to the 761 signature Mayor petition, two thousand people have signed the petition to Save St Paul's Sure Start Children's Centre and 1,638 people have signed the online petition to Save Salford Children's Jam Butty Camp.
The attitude was summed up by one mother protesting against the closure of St Paul's Children's Centre in Walkden last week who told the Salford Star: "The politicians must take the blame, the Council are just as bad as the Government, they're as bad as each other" (see full article – click here).
Meanwhile, at this week's local election where twenty seats are up for grabs, Salford has the biggest number of alternative parties standing for years with the cuts at the heart of their campaigns - including nine candidates for Trade Union and Socialists Against Cuts (TUSC), eight candidates for the Green Party, three Independents and Jackie Anderson standing for Bez's new Reality Party in Irlam.
The growth of these parties, coalitions and independents - together with the pro-cuts UKIP - represent a real sense of disillusionment in mainstream politics – which has also been reflected in the community sticking two fingers up at authority in the most peaceful ways possible.
At Barton Moss throughout the winter, thousands of people defied Greater Manchester Police to take part in peaceful direct action against fracking company IGas - together with a lock-on at Salford Council's Civic Centre reception in protest at the Mayor's complete silence on the issue and a campaign camp on the Civic Centre lawn (see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here).
Inside the Civic Centre, the Council's meeting to approve almost £25million cuts was brought to a halt by whistle blowing anti-cuts and anti-fracking campaigners who held their own vote in the public gallery not to pass the budget (see previous Salford Star article – click here)
Last Saturday, hundreds of Salford people met for a rally and family fun day against the cuts on the lawns of the Civic Centre, despite legal threats and intimidation from the Mayor and Salford Council (see previous Salford Star article – click here)…
…And on Sunday, former Lib Dem MP, Lembit Opik, led an unscheduled motorbike invasion outside the Civic Centre in support of the Motorcycle Alliance Party candidate, Mike Yarwood, who is standing in Langworthy to fight for bikers' rights.
On Saturday 31st May at 2pm, campaigners against the proposed closure and sell-off of the Salford Children's `Jam Butty' Camp - ignited by the Council's withdrawal of £50,000 funding for the disadvantaged kids' holiday home - will stage a demonstration on the lawns of the Civic Centre during the Mayor's Spirit of Salford festival…
Collette Jenkinson, from the Save The Jam Butty Camp campaign, who was at the `illegal' rally against the cuts last Saturday, explained why she was prepared to defy the Council, hijack the Festival and `trespass' to make her point…
"I'm not mithered about that, I'm just bothered about the kids losing their Jam Butty Camp" she said "I'm not mithered about Salford Council and what they've got to say. My main focus is the children, all my focus is on the children of Salford. I think it's disgusting taking something away from the heart of Salford. They should hang their heads in shame."
That people, most of whom have never been involved in politics and demonstrations, are prepared to take action outside the mainstream political system is a growing phenomenon in Salford.
Whichever way the local election votes go this week, direct action, protests and demonstrations against cuts and environmental carnage are not going away. While Politicians - with a capital `P' - lead delegations to London and hold `bread and circus' festivals, their methods are looking incredibly jaded when people see no answers, only horrendous cuts to services for the most vulnerable people in the city.
It's fair to say that more and more Salford people are discovering Do It Yourself politics…
Main photo by Steven Speed shows Save The Jam Butty Campaigners outside the Civic Centre last Saturday
* For a full list of candidates at the local election see previous Salford Star article - click here
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