Cairns-seat demo in bid for fair funding

HUNDREDS of protesters marched through the constituency seat of Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns yesterday. Barry hosted its biggest political rally in a decade as public services union Unison brought hundreds of people to the constituency seat of the MP, marching for fair funding for Wales, an end to austerity and an end to the public-sector pay cap.

The town’s King’s Square was awash with colour, placards, banners and flags as families turned out to hear speakers say that public services are rapidly disappearing as a direct result of Conservative government spending cuts.

Unison argues the Secretary of State is not standing up for the people of Wales and ordinary people have suffered for too long as a result of UK government cuts.

Unison Cymru Wales had organised the all-Wales #SaveOurServices rally in the town to draw attention to the fact that it has more members in Alun Cairns’ constituency than the size of his majority.

The trade union is planning a series of events continuing the campaign for fair funding for Wales.

Margaret Thomas, Unison Cymru Wales regional secretary, said: “We’ve complained that Alun Cairns as Welsh Secretary hasn’t been representing the people of Wales. In his back yard he won’t have been able to ignore the hundreds of people chanting, singing and marching for an end to austerity.

“Speaker after speaker pleaded for fairer funding for Wales to save libraries and leisure centres and other vital local services, and for an immediate end to the seven-year pay cap which has squeezed the family budgets of 390,000 public service workers in Wales by more than 20%.

“This is the message we want Alun Cairns to take to Theresa May as the government prepares its budget.”