With today being the date of City of York Council's annual meeting - and the handover for the Lord Mayor of York - there were plenty of local politicians in town. We were greatly encouraged when Labour group leader Coun David Scott and his colleague Coun James Alexander (pictured above with Fathers of Chapel Sam Southgate and Tony Kelly) visited our picket line to express their firm support for York journalists.
Later on, the Green Party group leader Coun Andy D'Agorne stopped by to offer his backing. Then, to complete a hat-trick of political groups, Coun Ceredig Jamieson-Ball, Liberal Democrat councillor for Heslington, visited the picket line and sent us this message of support:"It is important that employees in York are able to earn similar rates of pay as other workers. It seems to me that Newsquest are trying to take advantage of York journalists. They should be offered the same rate as elsewhere."While all this was going on, the Lord Mayor of York's limousine drove past our picket, with the civic party on board. The driver gave us a toot. We like the fact one of the new mayor Coun Brian Watson's first acts in office was supporting our strike. Good on you, Brian.
We offer all these councillors our sincere thanks for showing such solidarity.
