Report: People’s March for the NHS
The People’s March for the NHS, which began in Jarrow on August 16th, finished with a rally of more than 5,000 in Trafalgar Square on September 6th.
Some thirty marchers, dubbed the ‘300 milers’, completed the whole route which marched in the footsteps of the 1936 Jarrow march for the unemployed. Along the route they were joined by hundreds and by the time the march reached its destination they had been joined by thousands of people determined to save the NHS.
The march was the inspiration of a group of mothers from Darlington, the ‘Darlo mums’ who want to stop the privatisation of our health service. As one of the marchers, NHS nurse Barbara Campbell, said: “My mum and dad didn’t have any money or any properties to leave me, but they left me the NHS. I don’t want to leave my children a world where they have to worry about how they are going to pay their bills or healthcare.”
Left Unity pledged support for the march. We sent a donation of £250 from central funds and had a banner specially made in support of the NHS which was present at the start of the march and at the end and on the whole of the Northampton leg. Many Left Unity members joined the march at different stages and we worked with others to raise the funds to have run of the march t-shirts produced for sale at the final rally.
Ken Loach addressed the marchers in St Albans and sent the march this message –
“Good luck for the march. The NHS needs strong defenders. It is being fragmented and its core principles eroded. Why should private companies profit from our need to stay healthy and be treated when we fall sick? Why can’t we act together to care for each other without big corporations ripping us off? If Nye Bevan is looking down, he’ll give you a rousing cheers as you set off! Yours in solidarity, Ken Loach.”
The defence of the NHS is one of key issues of our time. There will be bigger marches than this but there will be few so important. The small group of 300 milers represented the desire of millions to live in a society not driven by profit but a society in which the care you receive when you are ill is not dependent on your ability to pay. Left Unity is proud to have played a small role in supporting this historic march.
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3 responses to “Report: People’s March for the NHS”
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I marched from the 300 miles from Jarrow to London with The People’s March for the NHS.
We arrived in St Albans a little early for the rally and Ken Loach was there in good time. He chatted freely with loads of marchers and the general public, signed autographs(including my campaign shirt unwashed from Jarrow) spoke to journalists and posed for many autographs.
Meeting Ken was the highlight of the march for me, not just because I’m a Left Unity member, but because I’ve watched his fantastic films from childhood. It’s probably through watching his early ground breaking films of social injustices in the UK that I am the person I am today!
I can tell you (and I know many of my fellow marchers will agree) Ken’s speech at St Albans was probably the best received of the whole 22 day march!
All the 300 milers were presented with a signed copy of Ken’s the Spirit of ’45 DVD at a wonderful social gathering after the rally.
Thanks Ken you are a gentleman.
Just like to say well done to David and all the Marchers, I hope Labour take cognisance of the anger about the NHS and don’t backslide back into supporting privatisation.
Shame Left Unity didnt see fit to support and publisise the recent sizeable march against Climate change given it is apparently a policy of the party.There was no obvious Left unity presence anywhere on the march !
Left unity losing it or what ? or maybe it never had it to lose in the first place