These are video cuts from last night’s public meeting in Barnet.

There was an impressive turnout. Most people said they were Barnet residents (there was a show of hands towards the end).

Haven’t edited the vids, so there are rough moments.

First video: Shirley Franklin, Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition.

Talks about government attempts to close accident and emergency departments in London hospitals.

Nick Grant from the Anti Academies Alliance (not Alasdair Smith! – he went to another one. h/t vickram7).

Speaks about BBC giving in too easily to spending cuts rhetoric and the ‘class war’ in education. Says academies are about decentralising schools management. ‘The government has lied on its website,’ and deliberately overstated finance available to schools.

Next: John Lister from London Health Emergency.

Talks about hospitals that have lost their accident and emergency departments since the election – Queen Mary’s in Sidcup, Chase Farm, etc.

Second part of John Lister’s speech.

A Barnet resident talks about recent Barnet council attempt to cut the onsite warden service in sheltered housing for the elderly (the council was forced to abandon its plans after a court case brought by residents).

Local NUT rep talks about the realities of academy money in Barnet and about his conversations with senior council staff about schools funding.

And lucky last – the GMB’s Mary Turner defends that union’s behaviour during the miners’ strike, and says the TUC must step up to the plate to defend public services this time around.