Ever been on a demonstration?

[Incognito]

A Socialist party? which parallel universe was that in?

Are you just being dim for effect? Perhaps you could start by enumerating which Thatcherite Union reforms got repealed by NULab

Still laughing you think they were Socialist - they were mostly Thatcherite.

Most of the Equality tulipe that got enacted is all with the firm support of the Unions, gives them more reasons to clog up the tribunals with spurious claims of being discriminated against when they're purely just tulipe at their job.

Of course Blair didn't repeal the acts, he knows the Unions are a ball and chain. They bankroll the party though and whilst you may believe the fluff NL tried to project about having changed and not being dirty commie scum, the real power behind the party is the NEC and trust me, they ain't Thatcherite. Notice the names?

National Executive Committee | The Labour Party

Maybe you knew that and are just being dim for effect.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Of course Blair didn't repeal the acts, he knows the Unions are a ball and chain. They bankroll the party though and whilst you may believe the fluff NL tried to project about having changed and not being dirty commie scum, the real power behind the party is the NEC and trust me, they ain't Thatcherite. Notice the names?

So why keep the Thatcher laws if they are in fact, as you so charmingly imply "commie scum"?

A few trumped up unfair dismissal claims is your evidence that Unions still need smashing? How smashed would they need to be for you to be happy? Totally illegal presumably. How would you feel about the PCG being illegal - or is that Ok because you think they might share your opinions and propensity for unprovoked boot boy violence against people you don't like?

[Mich the Tester]

Only one protest. A group of about 100 Neo-Nazis held a march in my town in NL, and I joined the approx 20,000 citizens who marched to oppose them.

[Incognito]

So why keep the Thatcher laws if they are in fact, as you so charmingly imply "commie scum"?

A few trumped up unfair dismissal claims is your evidence that Unions still need smashing? How smashed would they need to be for you to be happy? Totally illegal presumably. How would you feel about the PCG being illegal - or is that Ok because you think they might share your opinions and propensity for unprovoked boot boy violence against people you don't like?

I do tend to stereotype anyone with a red rosette as such, I don't really mean it though.

I'll be happy when the likes of Crow can't call out his force at a drop of a hat because TFL have sacked employees for drinking whilst on duty.

Times have changed from when the Unions protected the working man, now they just seem to exist to protect their little empires they have created within the public sector.

The TUC demo was not about social injustice and equality for all, it was the self serving few who are worried about losing their pensions and little empires.

[NickFitz]

Me relaxing at Stonehenge, Spring Equinox Sunrise, 1988:

[Incognito]

Me relaxing at Stonehenge, Spring Equinox Sunrise, 1988:

What were you protesting about?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I do tend to stereotype anyone with a red rosette as such, I don't really mean it though.

I'll be happy when the likes of Crow can't call out his force at a drop of a hat because TFL have sacked employees for drinking whilst on duty.

Times have changed from when the Unions protected the working man, now they just seem to exist to protect their little empires they have created within the public sector.

The TUC demo was not about social injustice and equality for all, it was the self serving few who are worried about losing their pensions and little empires.

Isn't it all the eternal war of selfishness that goes on in this country though? In the 70's Union power was all about getting paid more - or sometimes even trying to keep place with inflation. Most ordinary workers lost that battle some time ago. On the flip side, a lot of management and government were trying to negotiate a settlement where investment was minimised. Both sides are to blame for this for being too determined to hang on to their entrenched positions.

Thatcher came along and decided, with popular support, that business had won that battle.

Fast forward to now and most workers (even if they have a pay rise) in the lower reaches have effectively been losing - whilst people higher up the tree keep getting paid more and more for failure.

As a culture (and it's reflected in the Legal system, political system even in football and religion) we are very angry, tribal and confrontational.

"The self serving few" is actually eveyone on all sides of the debate. We have much more in common than we'd ever like to admit.

[MarillionFan]

What were you protesting about?

Hairdressers by the look of it.

[NickFitz]

What were you protesting about?

Not a lot, given that the Police just stayed in their vans whining about how bloody cold it was

Funny how they'd bring in a dozen forces and spend a million quid trying to keep us away at Summer Solstice, but the other three times of the year they just left us to it.

[VectraMan]

Not really a demonstration, but back at Kent University there was a rape on campus, and the Students Union got all militant and organised everybody to march on The Registry (the name of the admin building) and demand the university increased security. And I wondered along to listen, and because I was bored.

The university did increase security, but were delighted to do so as it meant they finally had an excuse to restrict the freedom of all those pesky students as they'd been trying to do for years. Which was something of a PITA.

Demonstrators never think things through.