The anti-austerity movement in the United Kingdom saw major demonstrations throughout the 2010s in response to Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government's austerity measures which saw significant reductions in local council budgets, increasing of university tuition fees and reduction of public spending on welfare, education, health and policing, among others. Anti-austerity protests became a prominent part of popular demonstrations across the 2010s, particularly the first half of the decade.
The protests began to fade from around 2012 and austerity largely went ahead as planned. The protestors believed that government cuts were designed to target the working class while big businesses and financial businesses, in particular businesses with connections to British MPs, were going unpunished for tax avoidance, despite their perception that the latter was the main reason for the financial crisis and the subsequent recession. UK trade unions, and the Trades Union Congress took a large role in supporting the movement. Organisations that formed during the movement- such as People's Assembly Against Austerity, UK Uncut, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, Scotland United against Austerity, the Radical Assembly and the Occupy London Stock Exchange were all seen as key in the movement's growth and activities.
Background In May 2010, the United Kingdom general election resulted in no political party achieving sufficient support to form a working majority government on their own. For this reason, the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition government together. The Conservative leader David Cameron became prime minister, whilst Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg became deputy prime minister.
The government planned to put into action sharp spending cuts, stating that they were necessary to address the United Kingdom's record peacetime deficit, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, saying that Britain risked suffering a debt crisis like those seen in Greece, Ireland and Portugal if it failed to reduce the budget deficit. The austerity measures that they planned proved to be the toughest in the United Kingdom since the Second World War, which saw cuts in welfare benefits, local government budgets, and an increase in taxes such as VAT.
Organisers said the government's plans to eliminate the deficit in four years, and to focus on cutting spending rather than raising tax, did not have national support. They say they want to give a voice to all the people affected by the cuts, and to demonstrate to Westminster that the public rejects the argument that there is no alternative. They and many protesters argue that the cuts will threaten the country's economic recovery.Anti-cuts March for the Alternative draws 500,000 protestors in London. Time, 26 March 2011 They suggest that since the government recently spent billions bailing out indebted banks, the government should create new taxes for banks and close loopholes that allow some companies to pay less tax. Labour MP Chuka Umunna declared that it was "shocking" to learn that Barclay's Bank paid only 1% of its 2009 profits in taxes while the corporate tax in the UK is 28%. Max Lawson, of the Robin Hood Tax Campaign, said: "If banks paid their fair share we could avoid the worst of the cuts and help those hit hardest by the financial crisis they did nothing to cause." Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON, remarked that "These are ordinary families and working people, many with their children to send a strong message to David Cameron to halt the damaging cuts which are leading to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the closure of services including libraries and care homes."
Objectives Journalist and former anti-austerity activist Ellie Mae O'Hagan described the mission objectives of the anti-austerity movement during the coalition government years as being pushing the coalition to collapse by raising their agenda and have an impact on the Liberal Democrats. However she challenged this critically, saying "Why exactly did we think a party who had never been in government would give up its one taste of power simply out of a sense of shame? It was nonsensical."
Timeline of events 2010 Student protests in November and December 2010, focused on cuts and changes to the funding of higher and further education in England. A previous student protest also saw some "violence" when students targeted the automobile in which Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were riding. Claire Darke MBE resigned from the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition on Wolverhampton City Council in protest against the government's austerity measures, which she described as "ideologically driven" and harmful to local services. Her departure led to the Wolverhampton Labour Group taking control of the council with a slim majority, marking the first time a local coalition failed following the formation of the national Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
2011 January–February On 29 January, the NCAFC (National Campaign Against Cuts & Fees) held a small protest in London. Some minor violence was reported. In Manchester there was a protest of around 5000 people called by the TUC, UCU and the NUS against fees and cuts, billed as "a future that works" rally.
On 1 February, a disused building at the University of Glasgow, Scotland was occupied and re-opened as the Free Hetherington anti-cuts space. It has since attracted much controversy due to heavy-handed attempts to evict the students, staff and community members from the building, which resulted in multiple injuries and arrests. On 12 February, council workers in Darlington, including members of the unions UNISON and GMB, staged a We Love Darlington protest against council cuts in the North-East town. On 17 February, police removed protestors at Islington Town Hall who were demanding leader Catherine West drop its proposed £52million cuts.
On 24 February a Hull City Council meeting was interrupted by protests. On the previous evening, a Sheffield City Council meeting was invaded by protesters over proposed cuts to local children's centres.Protest Against Cuts to Children's Centres; The Real Steel News; 24 February 2011
March
On 3 March, the GMB and UK Uncut held a protest on Knightsbridge against tax evasion. A protest was also held on the same day by UK Uncut outside the Barclays bank in Victoria Square, Bolton, opposite Bolton Town Hall. The protest was against tax evasion. On 5 March, there was a protest of around 2,000 people in Manchester about cuts being implemented on the city. UK Uncut held protests in Perth, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Ipswich, Edinburgh, Colchester, Bristol, and Aberdeen. Protests in Perth were against the Scottish Liberal Democrats and tax evasion; protests in Manchester, Ipswich, and Aberdeen were anti-austerity in general; protests in Liverpool were against the Big Society; protests in Leicester and Colchester were against tax evasion and big bonuses for bankers; protests in Edinburgh were against the closure (by the government) of two nursery schools in the city, and tax evasion; and protests in Bristol were against the closure of a library in the city. On 6 March, UK Uncut arranged to hold a protest in Taunton against government cuts.
UK Uncut held protests in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on 7 March, mainly around the Barclay's Bank headquarters in Canary Wharf. During the protest, a group of around a dozen people gathered in front of a sculpture in the bank lobby, and chanted, "Barclays Bank pays no tax, Tower Hamlets gets the axe," and, "Barclays, pay your tax."Tower Hamlets protesters vent fury over tax at Barclays headquarters; The Guardian; 7 March 2011 According to protest organiser UK Uncut, "Around twenty people, all living or working in Tower Hamlets, occupied the foyer of Barclays HQ while startled bankers were directed out a side entrance." UK Uncut held a protest on 9 March, at a budget cuts council meeting in the London Borough of Bexley. During the emotionally charged and noisy meeting, there were shouts of "shame" and "cutting respite care is not right" from the residents in the gallery numbering about 165, and protesters at the back doors chanted "care, not cuts" as councillors entered. Police were brought in to guard the civic offices and residents had their bags searched; those with cameras were banned from entering.Fury as Bexley council votes through £35.3 million cuts ; London 24; 10 March 2011
On 12 March, around 5,000 people marched from Devonshire Green to the venue of the 2011 Liberal Democrats spring conference, where one man was arrested for public order offences and discharge of a firework in a public place. Barricades were set up on Fargate and Surrey Street following several incidents, including a group of protesters running into a Topshop store on Fargate. The event has been "good-natured on the whole", police said. A large group of protesters, separate from the main group, caused violence along the march, including trying (and failing) to set fire to a police car. Much smaller protests were held by UK Uncut in Ipswich and Poole, with five protesters attending the latter. Protesters also occurred in Barker's Pool, Sheffield, on the Day of Rage (12 March). UK Uncut arranged to hold anti-cuts protests in Basildon on 14 March.
On 22 March, around 4,000 people from universities and colleges across Scotland marched down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament and staged a rally against introduction of tuition fees and cuts to education. Politicians, student leaders and trade union representatives, including Education Secretary Mike Russell, Labour Party's Des McNulty and Margaret Smith, of the Liberal Democrats addressed the protesters at the rally.Students heckle Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP over fees; The Guardian; 22 March 2011 On the same day the University of Glasgow management evicted the Free Hetherington occupation. The occupation then moved to the University Senate, before the occupiers were eventually offered their original location back, this offer was accepted. Protesters preparing ahead of the 26 March protests broke into 61 Curzon Street in London and occupied the building, calling it a "meeting place".
On 26 March, 250,000 people attended a protest in central London. Further outbreaks of violence were reported in London on 27 March. Several hundred people protested in Barker's Pool, Sheffield; the branch of John Lewis was damaged by rioters throwing smoke bombs and rocks. The police arrested 201 people in connection with civil disobedience. The two men charged have been released on bail ahead of court appearances. The other 199 are being held in various police stations around London. According to The Daily Telegraph, the movement represented "the biggest public backlash against the Government's spending cuts since it came to power."
April–July
On 28 May, hundreds of protesters at 40 locations across the country staged protests against proposed cuts to the NHS. Dubbed "Emergency Operation", protesters organised by UK Uncut and trade unions converged on high street banks and held demonstrations to draw attention to the bank's role in creating the deficit.UK Uncuts hosts 40 direct actions in protest at NHS reforms; New Statesman; 29 May 2011Anti-cuts groups descend on banks in NHS protest; Guardian News; 28 May 2011