LONDON — Tens of thousands of British protesters marched through London on Saturday calling for an end to public spending cuts and tax rises launched by a government they accuse of elitism and ignorance about the plight of recession-hit voters. Blowing horns and whistles, demonstrators streamed past the Houses of Parliament behind a banner declaring “Austerity is Failing”, and called on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to revive Britain's struggling economy. The Conservative-led coalition is reeling from the resignation on Friday of a senior minister accused of calling police “plebs”, a class-laden insult for working people, and the perception that they are out of touch. “The wealthy don't realize the impact of the cuts and this government is only interested in what you can give them,” said local government worker Eric Batty, 60, dressed in a black grim reaper cloak costume symbolizing death. The government says it must stick to its plan to eliminate a budget deficit that stood at 8 percent of gross domestic product last year, the biggest of any major European country. It says the euro zone crisis has also cast a shadow over the British economy. Cameron's party faced a barrage of negative headlines over the departure of Andrew Mitchell - the “Chief Whip” or party enforcer - four weeks after he swore at police guarding the gates to the prime minister's Downing Street office. A separate row involving finance minister George Osborne, who sat in a first class train carriage with a standard class ticket before paying for an upgrade, added ammunition to critics who say the Conservatives are privileged and aloof. — Reuters
