We thought it was time to turn the tables on the Tories by using the No2AV posters they funded to campaign against the Coalition’s cuts.
Tim Horton is the research director of the Fabian Society
After yesterday’s failed Rally Against Debt – attracting around 500 attendees, despite the benefit of a Times opinion column and coverage across the newspapers – we thought it was time to turn the tables on the Tories by using the No2AV posters they funded to campaign against the Coalition’s cuts.
These posters, you may recall, courted controversy during the referendum campaign with a claim that the Alternative Vote system would cost £250 million alongside a picture of a baby, arguing the money would be better spent on maternity units. Another poster carried the picture of a soldier, arguing for more spending on bulletproof vests.
It was ironic to see a campaign funded by Conservative backers and run by the chief executive of the right-wing TaxPayers’ Alliance – who organised yesterday’s rally – championing public spending. It must have been a refreshing change for them to be able to harness people’s love of public services, rather than trying to do them down all the time. But, in the process, the No campaign have given us a great way to campaign against the cuts.
Thanks to Clifford Singer of The Other Taxpayer’s Alliance, the creative force behind the MyDavidCameron.com phenomenon, we have transformed these iconic images into arguments against the coalition’s programme. And, now the referendum is over, we’ll keep using these posters to remind the Tories of popular support for our services.
In the meantime, I’ll be writing to the TaxPayers’ Alliance to ask if they’ll join with the Fabian Society to call for higher spending on maternity units and soldiers’ equipment, rather than their current focus on even deeper cuts to corporation tax.
107 Responses to “Using No2AV’s cant on public spending to campaign against cuts”
Tim Horton
RT @OtherTPA: Nice: She needs a maternity unit NOT a costly NHS reorganisation, by @TimJHorton via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/m20KkH
Man in a Shed
Of course the left could oppose debt also by being honest about tax – rather than just using deferred taxation on our children to try to win elections. Still I guess your too selfish to do that.
You poster should have you children’s futures being stolen by Gordon Brown’s desperate attempts to hold onto his job. Perhaps you could add those people killed by the NHS since Labour just couldn’t be bothered to stand up to its paymaster Unions and reform the NHS so its more effective ?
Massive debt is immoral, and so it would seem are those whoa argue for it.
john
These are just as stupid and as nonsense as the originals – Part of me wants to say that two wrongs don’t make a right.
But you can’t deny they didn’t really have it coming!
Tim Horton
RT @MustBeRead: At @LeftFootFwd, @TimJHorton turns a #No2AV poster into a Labour anti-cuts poster http://j.mp/mTzU0l
Anon E Mouse
I think this second poster illustrates just how out of touch Labour really are.
Forget Gene Hunt firing up the Quattro which made Cameron look great.
Forget Flashman which gives him character and makes him look great (Alan Johnson’s wrong with that one).
This will serve only to remind people:
1. The war in Iraq and the lies from Alistair Cambell over the dodgy dossier.
2. The fact the Tories are bringing in the military covenant not Labour.
3. The disgraceful way the Gurkhas were treated by the Labour government.
4. The underfunding of our troops re. helicopters and Gordon Brown.
To remind the public how badly Labour let down our forces with this poster shows a gulf between Labour and ordinary people in this country that is breathtaking. Who comes up with these ideas?
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid…