I attended my first ever political march yesterday to protest at the Government’s inept handling of the economy.
I have wanted to attend marches in the past, particularly to protest against the conflict in Iraq, but have never been around to take part.
This Government, as well as previous ones to an extent, have shown repeatedly that they don’t listen to anyone who has a difference of opinion. As a result, there are many who question what good marching will do when this is the case. But there is nothing more dangerous for a democracy than apathy and I don’t think anyone but a select group of very rich people and deluded idiots are happy with the way things are going in this country.
So I was one of around 150,000 people to actively express disapproval for Cameron and his cronies’ disastrous tenure.
I am not part of a union and don’t have too many politically active friends, so didn’t know anyone else attending. But I often go to the cinema solo, so the prospect of marching in a crowd on my own was not enough to put me off. However, quite bizarrely, when I was walking around at the start, I bumped into a friend from university who I hadn’t seen since we graduated in July 2006. So I had Lucy and her family for company for the three-mile trek, with a free sandwich thrown in.
Marching was a good experience and I will do so again whenever I agree with the motive of one. Again, how much good it will do, I don’t know. But if enough people express the same opinion, then a difference can be made; and I’m looking forward to voting in the 2015 election. How good the alternative will be, I can’t be certain. What I do know is that it really can’t be any worse than what we currently have, and that’ll do for me.
Following the march winding up in Hyde Park, I went off to catch a train to Margate for a gig. This was the third time I have performed at the venue and it is always a pleasure. I was hoping to have a stormer, and in the end it was just quite good with room for improvement. A few lines fell flat that haven’t been getting laughs for a while. So I am now going to do some rewriting, proof again that if enough people express the same opinion then a difference can be made.