UpRise Festival: The big society - and its destroyers

The Rise antio racism festival is coming back. Despite having its funduing cut it is launching again, this time as UpRise.

All well and good, and congratulations to Mike Barnard and Freya van Lessen who have campaigned long and hard to make it happen. They set up a local initiative and raised money to make it happen.

Good for them and good luck to the event on the 3rd October in Finsbury Park. It is a free festival and is supported by a range of organisations, largely the Trade Unions. That is their right and choice.
So, given that it is happening and promises to be a success is Ken Livingston promising to throw taxpayers money at it?

The reason that the Rise festival collapsed last year is that Boris changed it from specifically 'Anti-Racism' to 'Celebrating Diveristy' and some of the supporters pulled out. faced with a half miilion bill the Mayor then declined to pay. An event that had intially been self sustaining had got fat on subsidy, and inevitably when the subsidy was withdrawn it fell apart.

Now it is back, without subsidy. One would have thought that it, and the blithering wastrel Livingston would leave well alone and let it get on without taxpayers money?

Because as sure as eggs is egss if that happens and they get subsidy, next time the subsidy is cut they will fall apart again.