Thousands take to streets protesting 'ratbag's Bedroom Tax
Sunday, March 31, 2013


Image: Brian McNeil.
Demonstrations took place across the UK over the holiday weekend, echoing the message personally delivered to Iain Duncan Smith at a Capita-sponsored talk last week. Chants of "Axe, axe, axe the bedroom tax" could be clearly heard throughout Edinburgh's demonstration. At the end of his minute-long tirade at the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Willie Black labelled Duncan Smith a "ratbag"; several people turned up with this printed on their tee shirts.
Wikinews photographed the march from Edinburgh's St. Andrew's Square to the Scottish Parliament. Various estimates put the number in-attendance between 1,200 and 1,600.
Other protests took place in London, with an estimated 1,000 at Trafalgar Square and Downing street. Glasgow saw around 2,500 take to the streets. Those demonstrating equated the package of changes that see benefit rises at a below-inflation 1%, and housing benefit cut by 14% for those with one spare room, 25% if they have two or more spare rooms, with the 'poll tax' which saw riots in England during Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister.
Head of the UK's National Housing Federation David Orr commented: "It's bad policy, it's bad economics, it's bad for hundreds of thousands of ordinary people whose lives will be made difficult for no benefit — and I think it's about to become profoundly bad politics."
With the policy coming into effect now, protesters are intent on a "can't pay, won't pay" civil disobedience campaign.
Images from the Edinburgh protest

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Amongst the chants during the march were "They say cutback, we say fight back.", "Tory, tory tory, scum, scum, scum!" and "We won't pay your bedroom tax!"
Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.

Image: Brian McNeil.
Sources
- "Thousands protest UK's bedroom tax" — RT (TV network), March 31, 2013
- Tracy McVeigh. "'Bedroom tax' and welfare cuts protesters take to streets across UK" — The Guardian, March 30, 2013
- "Iain Duncan Smith left speechless by protester "We'll see the end of you" [... "Ratbag"]" — YouTube, March 27, 2013
- "Archbishop was wrong on benefits cap, says Duncan Smith" — BBC News Online, March 11, 2013