Thousands of people converged on Manchester today to march for the NHS, as the Conservative Party that is trying to sell it off for profit was meeting nearby.
As the march set off at noon, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis was joined by Labour MP Andy Burnham and health workers from George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, which is under threat of privatisation.
And campaigners ensured that Twitter hashtag #NHS299 was trending right across the UK – emphasising the importance of the news.
But 90 minutes after the first marchers had moved off, coaches were still reported to be arriving in Manchester, with the official Twitter account for the demonstration reporting that the front section was “holding at Albert Square for a bit to allow people to catch up”.
And Greater Manchester Police tweeted: “40,000 protestors marching through Manchester and not one arrest.”
As the day went on, that figure increased, with later estimates of 50,000 marchers.
