Campaign group organises Northampton town centre protest rally against proposed county council cuts

The Save Northants Services rally is tomorrow (February 17) outside All Saints Church in George Row, Northampton from midday until 3pm.

Speakers for a range of organisations and groups have been invited, including author Alan Moore, Northampton Mayor Gareth Eales, and Penny Smith from the Northamptonshire branch of Unison.

A spokesperson for Save Northants Services said: "We believe Northants Council has failed the people it is supposed to serve. It has wilfully followed political dogma, extreme austerity measures and policies that have favoured private business rather than public need.

"All of this has resulted in terrible and damaging cuts to essential services – affecting care and welfare services, education, libraries, young persons support, older people’s care packages and health and retirement homes.

"We in SNS call for these dire policies to be investigated and to be reversed. We have no real confidence that the Government inspectors will reverse these policies completely, tied as the inspectors are to a government that has supported the very policies that have caused this crisis.

"We will seek to speak to the investigators to put our views across and to argue for the changes we have outlined.

"We also call on the public to engage with the investigators and to work with us to get the many changes needed.

"Finally, we call for this administration to resign and for fresh elections to be called and for people to vote for candidates who are opposed to Austerity, privatisation and PFI."

The following people have been invited to speak at the rally: Paul Crofts - Save Northants Services, campaigner to Defend the NHS and Local Public ServicesGareth Eales - Labour councillor, county councillor and party political candidate for Northampton SouthPeter Stefanovic - journalist, blogger, filmmaker, campaigner, political and social commentatorPenny Smith - branch secretary Unison NorthantsDave Green - SNS, Campaigner to Defend the NHS and Local Public ServicesAlan Moore - Northampton based authorSue Bentley - Northampton based author, worked for Northamptonshire libraries and supporter of public librariesRon Mendel - president of Northampton Trade Union Council, branch chair of University College Union, senior lecturer of international relations and politics at University of Northampton, campaigner to Defend the NHS and Local Public ServicesAnjona Roy - chief executive officer of Northamptonshire Rights & Equality CouncilMartin Sullivan - secretary of Friends of Libraries of Birmingham