Merthyr Rising

With all the talk of the personalities involved in the Tory leadership, it's important to remember that personalities are largely unimportant when it comes to politics - it's the economics the politicians believe in that's important.
The candidates to be the next Tory leader all believe in the same thing: tax cuts for the rich and 'trickle-down economics' - the notion that wealth will find its way down from wealthy people to the poorer.
This economic model is completely dispr...oven - with income inequality, homelessness, an exponential rise in the use of foodbanks, and the number of billionaires rising. Last year, Britain's 1000 richest individuals held a record wealth of £771 billion pounds, and the number of billionaires rose. Clearly, wealth is not 'trickling down' at all, but is being hoarded.
Ignore the fact that is a video supporting Labour policies. Focus on the central message - that is- that we need a return to the foundational economy where wealth is held in local communities and money works for people, not people who are already fabulously wealthy. Tax cuts for the already-wealthy don't work - it transfers the burden of funding public services to those who can least afford it.
This is a great video which shows how society can use its taxation policies to help the majority of people have better lives, something which is at the root of our festival's ethos.
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Happy 60th birthday Karen Jones. 🎂
Karen volunteered for the very first festival in Penderyn Square 5 years ago and ever since that day has become a crucial part of the team and the festival's success.
Who would believe she's a day older than 21? Have a great day Kar!

The Conservatives are the party of the rich. Here’s Boris, potentially the next PM, confirming this.
Never mind the 14 million people living in poverty in the U.K. or the proliferation of food banks, let’s give the already rich a few more quid.
Having the Tories in charge of the country is the biggest threat to the working-classes: they will use Brexit to shape the economy in their own interests.... We all need to unite to get rid of these people, who serve only themselves and their class.
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We wrote a very detailed post about drug-taking by a certain Mr Gove this morning.
Sometimes, though, a picture paints a thousand words. 😂

The chatter about certain Tory politicians having taken drugs is a sideshow and a distraction.
It’s not the drug-taking: it’s the hypocrisy. Gove, especially, was an advocate of hard-line drug policy:
In 2014 he introduced a teachers' code of conduct with lifetime bans for teachers caught using Class A drugs like cocaine: something he knew he had taken.
... Hypocrites like Gove, and others like him, have no genuine interest in solving this problem, a problem which continues to blight lives in our town and across the country.
Politicians are seemingly ignoring the evidence from Portugal, who de-criminalised the possession and consumption of all illicit drugs in 2001.
Portugal’s policy rests on three pillars:
1️⃣ That there’s no such thing as a soft or hard drug, only healthy and unhealthy relationships with drugs.
2️⃣That an individual’s unhealthy relationship with drugs often conceals frayed relationships with loved ones, with the world around them, and with themselves.
3️⃣That the eradication of all drugs is an impossible goal.
So, we don’t criticise Gove, or any politician or person for ‘dabbling’ (who are we to judge?): the issue is the utter hypocrisy of people with privilege who seek to enforce one set of rules for the working-classes, whilst operating under a different set of rules for themselves.
These people are not leaders.
[article on Portugal’s drug policy is from 2017, but still relevant]
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We reject the idea of Philip Hammond: the malevolent spectre of private-schoolground economics.
#keeprising

How many of you got the Merthyr Rising Blues?
If you fancy listening back to last week's amazing music here's a Spotify playlist knocked up by a Merthyr Rising fan. 🎧🎵

The trouble with single-issue groups (in this case The Brexit Party, essentially a private company), is that they are often home to individuals with disturbing, regressive views.
It’s very important that we remember that there’s more to politics than Brexit, even though this is an immediate, and complex, challenge we face.
It’s essential that we, the working-classes, don’t let the loonies (be they free-market loons who want to privatise the NHS, or people like Ann Widdecombe,... seemingly beamed here from the 1890s) in through the back door.
The Brexit Party is fresh cover for right-wing, divisive politicians to advance their own careers and help their mates in the city and the establishment. They don’t care about us. #keeprising
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Today, of all days, make sure you #keeprising
👇

Well, what a weekend.
The busiest festival we've ever had, with three days of great music, family fun, dancing, political talks and debates, a film screening, a talk on art, politics and photography, our first 'Rising Together' event, not to mention a square of stalls from our friends in the trade union movement, and delicious festival food.
We've nearly finished our clean-up on Penderyn Square, and are about to take a bit of a rest after a manic weekend!
... We'd like to thank everyone who came to the festival, and we'd like to thank you all for your patience while we dealt with a few hiccups caused by unprecedented demand.
We'd also like to thank all our partners, all the local businesses who we worked with, and worked with us, our comrades in the trade union movement, all our amazing volunteers and the staff who worked so hard on the bars and on the site.
Once we've finished the post-festival stuff, and had a bit of a rest, we'll be back to tell you about some exciting plans we have.
In the meantime, diolch yn fawr i chi gyd.
#keeprising
photo: Anthony Conway
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Right, lovely folks at our festival: a few things!
We are now officially sold out: there are no more tickets available on the door.
If you have already purchased a ticket, and you're not here yet, please get here before 8PM: We'd like our ticket desk volunteers to have a rest and enjoy the last couple of acts.
... Our volunteers are working at full tilt to ensure you all have a great time: if you find choice at the bar limited, be assured that we are working very hard to replenish stocks.
Please be nice to our volunteers and bar staff who are working extra hard to make sure you're all having a great weekend.
If you spot one of our volunteers (with crew t-shirts) looking a bit hot and flustered, give them a smile and/or a cwtch. The people working on the site, whatever job they're doing, are doing it because they believe in the ethos of the festival: bringing people together in a weekend of happiness.
One love, Merthyr.
#keeprising
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📢 Day 3: A little bit of housekeeping for those attending our festival today.
Schedule: bit.ly/risingschedule19
If you’re bringing children (Under 16s) they must be under your supervision at all times (we allow two children per paying adult).
... Alcohol is only to be purchased and consumed by those 18+. It’s the law and a condition of our licence. Our security team have been authorised to remove anyone from the site found to be buying alcohol for or giving alcohol to those under 18: both confiscating drinks and their wristbands.
Dance tent: due to child protection issues, no under-18s in the dance tent.
We want to keep everyone safe at our festival, so please respect the above, as most at our festival do.
Our bars are currently being re-stocked after a mammoth day yesterday!
Toilets: there are more toilets on the second site in the Castle Car Park. Please use these as well!
Lost property: front desk at Redhouse
Be safe, be excellent to one another and #keeprising on day 3! ✊
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Last night was a bit special: after a beautiful sunny day of music and packed talks/ debates, the pioneers of hip-hop The Sugarhill Gang and Furious Five turned the square into one big party with an amazing set.
Who would have thought that we’d have such superstars playing Penderyn Square, Merthyr Tydfil? It’s amazing what we can do when work together eh?
One love, Merthyr. See you on the square today for day 3. ✊
... #keeprising
Photo credit: Tom Spartan Audio
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It’s going off on Penderyn Square 🔥🔥
#Rising2019 ✊🚩