New Campaign for Public Services to be formed in West Kent

The West Kent Campaign for Public Services  covering the districts of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells - will have its inaugural meeting on Wednesday 16th February, starting at 7.30pm in the Angel Centre, Angel Lane, Tonbridge.

Speakers at the meeting will be:

SARAH CARPENTER         from the trade union UNITE
SUZANNE JEFFERY         Chair of the Trade Union Group of the Campaign Against Climate Change
and a speaker from the Communication Workers Union.
The trade union representatives will explain how cuts in public spending are hitting the sectors they represent. Suzanne Jeffery, will outline one possible costed alternative to the cuts, based on the Campaign Against Climate Change report showing that we could create one million jobs in the fight against climate change (1).
The meeting will be chaired by Steve Dawe, who is a member of the University and College Union(2). He says:

“The Government says there is no alternative to their cuts. But last year, due to cutbacks in tax collectors, HM Revenue and Customs failed to collect £42 bn in taxes known to be due. If this money had been collected, then cuts in front line public services could have been avoided. At the same time, our Government is permitting tax havens to continue on UK territory: examples include the Cayman Islands, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. So there is at least one alternative: to collect taxes and shut down tax havens that are used for tax evasion. Why is the Government not doing this to maintain services and cut the Deficit at the same time? The West Kent Campaign for Public Services will publicise the many alternatives to Government public spending cuts which exist, in its meetings and other events.”

FURTHER INFORMATION: Steve Dawe, acting Chair of the West Kent Campaign for Public Services, on 01732 355185 or 07747 036192. Contact address: 27 Audley Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1XF.