I always attributed a stroke at the age of 40 to working under impossible pressure to hit an unreasonable deadline. Genius, tenacity and a cast iron creative subconscious allowed me to deliver. The personal cost was appalling and I still live with the neurological, psychological and social damage. I’m fortunate, my employers were contrite and made every modification necessary to keep me in employment. I am very aware that most do not experience this level of support.

Birmingham Against The Cuts's avatarBirmingham Against The Cuts

With potential privatisation still looming over leisure centres around Birmingham, we are continuing to campaign, and are asking people to take our petition to their local leisure centre, let people know about the threat and gather signatures to let the council know that we do not want private companies profiting from our public services. We’ve already got hundreds of signatures, we need to make that thousands.

You can download the petition here.

Saturday 21st April is the next day of action, let us know if you can do a stall or petitioning session at your leisure centre and we’ll publicise it here and get other people to come along. Last time there were stalls at Moseley Road Baths and Handsworth, Northfield & Sparkhill leisure centres.

Saturday 21st April:

Handsworth Against the Cuts urges all its supporters to use this weekend to get petitions filled in. We have found that people…

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Support this election campaign. As an ex election agent of many campaigns I know that nothing lifts spirits more than people popping into the committee rooms to offer practical support – leafletting, canvassers, leaflet folders, envelope stuffers, poster pasters, even just making everyone a cup of tea!
So pop in and offer your support.
I shall.
An election campaign always needs hands and brains.
Hand and brain? Blimey, that sounds a bit like the old Labour Party Clause 4.
Yes, I’m that old!

Birmingham Against The Cuts's avatarBirmingham Against The Cuts

On Saturday, Communities Against The Cuts launched it’s election bid, standing candidates in Kings Norton and Bournville wards on an anti-cuts, pro-nhs stance.
The group has formed out of Stirchley and Cotteridge against the Cuts, following their multiple successes in the area over the past year to prevent the closure of vital services.

Amongst Stirchley and Cotteridge Against the Cuts’ successful high profile campaigns have been:

Communities Against The Cuts are a local party that offer an alternative for those who feel that the ConDem government and opposition parties do not represent them.
As you can see from their home-made shopfront, they are not a…

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My brother’s ME was initially passed off as Glandular Fever. After a couple of years his GP realised this was probably not the correct diagnosis. A younger colleague of his GP had heard of ME, not then a valid diagnosis, and had the balls to call it as such. Meanwhile my brother had developed H.Pyloris infection and multiple gastric ulcers caused by the over prescription of painkillers, which nearly killed him and required hospitalisation.
And his own GP’s verdict was that he was a workshy malingerer.
My brother can work, but not to any predictable schedule. He is functionally unemployable, not because he is incapable – he is in fact a competent and skilled worker – but because most HR models cannot accommodate sporadic work patterns.

Please support these events if you possibly can.

Birmingham Against The Cuts's avatarBirmingham Against The Cuts

March was another good month for workfare campaigns, locally and nationally, with a great demonstration held in Birmingham as part of a national day of action on March 3rd, and Kings Heath Against Workfare being formed and holding a Workfare Walk Of Shame on Kings Heath high street – which provoked interesting reactions from store managers

Yesterday, another national day of action was held, with 20 events taking place around the UK, and Holland and Barrett being the main target. We didn’t hold an event in Birmingham, because we had our first city centre planning meeting on the 29th.

At our meeting, it was decided to hold a walk of shame in Birmingham city centre – a tour around the city exposing some of the high street profiteers and explaining what workfare is, why it should be scrapped and what should replace it.

This will be held on

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Gogwit is sorry to have missed the launch of this new party but is willing to offer practical support in your campaigning. Good luck and best wishes, Lynne and Christopher. I only wish that Labour had some good ideas in respect of academies and free schools. Sadly I think their offer is more of the same!

handsoffourschool's avatarHands Off Our School

A New Party is Born!   Communities Against The Cuts (CATC)

Launch this Saturday 12 noon at No 1 Bournville Lane.  Everyone is welcome.

Communities Against the Cuts will be receiving the keys to No 1 Bournville Lane at 12 noon this Saturday, 31 March 2012.   Its shop front position in Stirchley will offer local residents the opportunity to pop in for a chat and discuss the issues that really matter to them with those who have been involved in local campaigning against the cuts since May 2010.

Christopher Hughes, CATC candidate for Kings Norton Ward in the local council elections to be held on 3 May 2012 said:

 ‘Birmingham City Council is the flagship Council for the CONDEM Government’s ideological policies which are allowing tax breaks for millionaires of over £40,000 whilst at the same time creating an unfair Granny tax.  

Birmingham City Council has been all too eager to impose vicious…

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This event, as featured previously in Gogwit’s Blog, is excellently evidenced in Geoff Dexter’s photos and this footage.

Birmingham Against The Cuts's avatarBirmingham Against The Cuts

Last Wednesday, workers, students and claimants formed a mock dole queue outside the Council House in Birmingham in protest at this governments austerity policies that are failing this country. Watch the video of the protest:

The protest was called by PCS Midlands, and supported by Birmingham Against the Cuts, Unison and Right To Work.

You can see more photos from the event, taken by Geoff, at his Flickr Page here.

Spread the video, get the message out – Austerity Isn’t Working, Britain’s Better Off With The Alternatives.
You can find out more about the alternatives to the cuts and austerity at these places:
False Economy – Cuts are Not The Cure
Birmingham Against The Cuts – Alternatives
PCS – Alternative To The Cuts

And get involved with anti-cuts and anti-austerity actions.
If you’re in or around Birmingham, look at our Upcoming Events page or see if there is a

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