This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/16/peoples-assembly-pans-burnham-cooper-kendall-rally-no-show

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
People's Assembly pans Burnham, Cooper and Kendall for 'rally no-show' People's Assembly pans Burnham, Cooper and Kendall for 'rally no-show'
(35 minutes later)
The organisers of an anti-austerity demonstration planned for the City of London this weekend have accused three of the four Labour leadership contenders of timidity for deciding to stay away.The organisers of an anti-austerity demonstration planned for the City of London this weekend have accused three of the four Labour leadership contenders of timidity for deciding to stay away.
The End Austerity Now rally, organised by the People’s Assembly, is expected to be the biggest anti-government demonstration for four years; tens of thousands of people will march from the City of London to Parliament Square.The End Austerity Now rally, organised by the People’s Assembly, is expected to be the biggest anti-government demonstration for four years; tens of thousands of people will march from the City of London to Parliament Square.
The leftwinger and Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn is to make a keynote address, but the party’s other contenders – Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall – have indicated they do not plan to attend. Union leaders, including Len McClusky from the Unite union, the Labour party’s biggest financial backers, will also be among the speakers.The leftwinger and Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn is to make a keynote address, but the party’s other contenders – Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall – have indicated they do not plan to attend. Union leaders, including Len McClusky from the Unite union, the Labour party’s biggest financial backers, will also be among the speakers.
Sam Fairbairn, national secretary of the People’s Assembly – the umbrella group of activists behind the march – said Burham, Cooper and Kendall had failed to grasp the level of public anger at budget cuts.Sam Fairbairn, national secretary of the People’s Assembly – the umbrella group of activists behind the march – said Burham, Cooper and Kendall had failed to grasp the level of public anger at budget cuts.
He said: “We don’t want to get involved in internal Labour debates, but its definitely timid of them not to show up.He said: “We don’t want to get involved in internal Labour debates, but its definitely timid of them not to show up.
Jeremy is the only candidate who takes a principled anti-austerity, anti-war stance consistentlyJeremy is the only candidate who takes a principled anti-austerity, anti-war stance consistently
“This is why Labour lost the election, because they didn’t take a hard enough line against austerity. Contrary to what the Blairites are saying about [former Labour leader Ed] Miliband being too leftwing, I think the opposite really.”“This is why Labour lost the election, because they didn’t take a hard enough line against austerity. Contrary to what the Blairites are saying about [former Labour leader Ed] Miliband being too leftwing, I think the opposite really.”
He speculated that Burnham, Cooper and Kendall did not want to be accused of double standards, having signed up to Labour’s pre-election budget responsibility lock to eliminate the budget deficit.He speculated that Burnham, Cooper and Kendall did not want to be accused of double standards, having signed up to Labour’s pre-election budget responsibility lock to eliminate the budget deficit.
“From their own point of view it might sound very hypocritical to attend a rally calling for no cuts when they have signed up to austerity. And even if they wanted to they would be nervous about how they would be received on the demonstration,” he said.“From their own point of view it might sound very hypocritical to attend a rally calling for no cuts when they have signed up to austerity. And even if they wanted to they would be nervous about how they would be received on the demonstration,” he said.
“For a long time the Labour party has taken a bad line on austerity. But we work with lots of Labour party members across the country who still hold to those founding principles of the Labour party.”“For a long time the Labour party has taken a bad line on austerity. But we work with lots of Labour party members across the country who still hold to those founding principles of the Labour party.”
Fairbairn indicated he was backing Corbyn’s leadership bid. “We would like the whole Labour party to be there obviously. But Jeremy is the only candidate who takes a principled anti-austerity, anti-war stance consistently,” he said.Fairbairn indicated he was backing Corbyn’s leadership bid. “We would like the whole Labour party to be there obviously. But Jeremy is the only candidate who takes a principled anti-austerity, anti-war stance consistently,” he said.
A spokesman for Unite said it did not wish to comment on the leadership contenders decision not to attend the march. A spokesman for Unite said it did not wish to comment on the leadership contenders’ decision not to attend the march.
Fairnbairn said it was “difficult to estimate” the number of people expected to attend Saturday’s rally. But he said: “It’s definitely going to be over 100,000 it could be up to 250,000.” Such numbers would make it biggest show of opposition to the government since the first trade union anti-austerity demonstration in 2011. Fairnbairn said it was difficult to estimate the number of people expected to attend Saturday’s rally. But he said: “It’s definitely going to be over 100,000; it could be up to 250,000.” Such numbers would make it the biggest show of opposition to the government since the first trade union anti-austerity demonstration in 2011.
A spokesman for Andy Burham’s team suggested all of the candidates would be tied up at a leadership hustings debate in Stevenage. A spokesman for Burham’s team suggested all the candidates would be tied up at a leadership hustings debate in Stevenage.
“All leadership candidates must take part in the first official party hustings event that is taking place in Stevenage that day,” he said.“All leadership candidates must take part in the first official party hustings event that is taking place in Stevenage that day,” he said.
The hustings are due to start at 11.30 on Saturday morning, giving the candidates (or at least Corbyn) time to make the roughly 45-minute journey to Parliament Square in time for the planned afternoon speeches at the end of the march.The hustings are due to start at 11.30 on Saturday morning, giving the candidates (or at least Corbyn) time to make the roughly 45-minute journey to Parliament Square in time for the planned afternoon speeches at the end of the march.