March on Thursday
What: demonstration of firefighters in smart ‘dress’ uniform and public against fire cuts
Who: hundreds of firefighters and supporters led by a pipe and drum band, as well as FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and Kate Hoey MP
Starts: 11.30am at Monument in the City of London, EC3R 6DB
Ends: Around 1pm, 169 London Fire Brigade Headquarters, Union Street, SE1 0LL
Seven out of ten Londoners believe that planned cuts to fire services will put public safety at risk, according to a new survey.
69% of respondents to the poll, conducted by YouGov for the Fire Brigades Union, said that they thought the planned closure of 10 fire stations, the loss of 14 fire engines and hundreds of jobs would endanger the public.
The poll also demonstrated the growing unpopularity of the cuts, with only 16% of respondents now saying they support the Mayor’s plans.
FBU general secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “Government cuts are putting lives at risk across the country, but Londoners are particularly at threat because of the Mayor’s own attacks on the capital’s fire service.
“In a fire, every second counts. These cuts plans ignore that crucial fact. The cuts are wrong, dangerous and massively unpopular among the public, and even Boris Johnson’s Conservative support base.
“It’s time for common sense and democracy to prevail and for public safety to be put first. These cuts must be stopped.”
The London Fire Brigade is due to meet on Thursday to decide whether to ratify the planned cuts.
Hundreds of London firefighters will march alongside members of the public on Thursday in protest against the cuts, starting at the site of the start of the 1666 Great Fire of London (The Monument) and ending at London Fire Brigade headquarters ahead of its meeting.
The rally will be addressed by firefighters’ leader Matt Wrack, Kate Hoey MP and other supporters.
Several local authorities and the Greater London Assembly itself are opposed to the cuts. An overwhelming 94% of contributors to the Mayor’s public consultation exercise also opposed the closures.
Interestingly, opposition to the cuts was even high among 2010 Conservative voters, with 62% saying they believed public safety would suffer and over half opposing the cuts.
The FBU’s regional secretary for London, Paul Embery, said: “These cuts are dangerous and wrong. They would lead to increased response times for millions of Londoners, which in turn would cost lives.
“There has been massive public opposition to the cuts. Londoners cherish their fire service, and they don’t want to see it decimated.
“We need to increase the pressure on Boris Johnson to abandon his proposals, and that begins with Thursday’s march.”
Ends
For more information, contact the press office (Joe Williams) on 02084 811 535 or [email protected] Alternatively, contact Paul Embery on 07854 998508 or [email protected].
Notes
– Spokespeople available
– You can find a more detailed breakdown of figures here http://bit.ly/fbuyougovjul13
– All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,574 London adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th – 16th July 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all London adults (aged 18+).
