Get Our Newsletter
Why Stop the War is marching to the Tory Party Conference this Sunday
This Sunday 29 September tens of thousands will join the TUC march on the Tory Party conference in Manchester to defend the NHS and challenge austerity. Stop the War is organising an anti-war block with CND on the demonstration. Here are five reasons why you should be there.
1) David Cameron insists welfare cuts are unavoidable, but he was the western leader keenest to get involved in another war in the Middle East by attacking Syria. The Libyan bombing cost Britain £1.7 billion pounds. Like the other wars of the last twelve years, it has left the country in chaos. An attack on Syria would be even more catastrophic. For Cameron there is always money for war. We have to confront this war addiction.
2) Twelve years after it began, the occupation of Afghanistan is a disaster for the Afghan people which is costing the UK taxpayer £12 million per day. The money spent on war in Afghanistan could have payed for 23 hospitals, 77,000 new nurses or 60,000 new teachers. This waste of lives and resources in Afghanistan must end. We should bring the troops home immediately.
3) Britain spends £43.3 billion a year on its military — the fourth biggest military budget in the world. If we ended our aggressive foreign policy, a large proportion of this money could be transferred to much needed civilian use.
4) Britain spends £3 billion a year on the Trident nuclear weapons system and £700 million a year on subsidies to the arms companies. The Trident programme should be scrapped. The ratio of jobs to investment in armaments is amongst the lowest in industry. The government should stop underwriting the arms trade and divert the money to housing and the NHS.
5) Anti-war protest helped block Cameron's plans for war on Syria. Protest can defeat austerity. Come on the anti-war block on Sunday and join us as we march for a different set of priorities and demand cut war not welfare.
The anti war block will be assembling in block 'J' with the main demonstration at 11am, Sunday 29 September Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4FP. Look out for the 'cut war not welfare' placards.
Source: Stop the War Coalition
