Fury over spending cuts, tax hike in UK

London, October 21, 2012

Tens of thousands of British protesters marched through London yesterday calling for an end to public spending cuts and tax rises launched by a government they accuse of elitism and ignorance about the plight of recession-hit voters.

Demonstrators streamed past the Houses of Parliament behind a banner declaring "Austerity is Failing", and called on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to revive Britain's struggling economy.

The Conservative-led coalition is reeling from the resignation on Friday of a senior minister accused of calling police "plebs", a class-laden insult for working people, and the perception that they are out of touch.

The government says it must stick to its plan to eliminate a budget deficit that stood at eight per cent of gross domestic product last year, the biggest of any major European country. It says the euro zone crisis has also cast a shadow over the economy.

Nurses, cleaners, librarians and ambulance drivers were among those who joined the march and a rally in London's central Hyde Park, in one of the biggest anti-austerity protests this year. Organisers estimated that 150,000 people took part.-Reuters
 

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