§ Mr. McGOVERNI beg to ask leave to present a petition from the unemployed hunger marchers, and, following upon that, I intend to give Notice of Motion that they be received at the Bar of the House.
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.The humble petition of Harry McShane, Peter Neville Harker, and John Samuel Williams showeth:The petitioners as representatives of the unemployed men and women of the country and of the thousands of hunger marchers who have now arrived in London humbly desire to represent that great suffering has been caused to the unemployed and their dependants by the means test, Anomalies Act, and the cuts in unemployment benefit, and the declared intention of the Government to continue those hardships through the Unemployment Bill at present before Parliament, and even to worsen the present miseries of the working classes thereby.Wherefore your petitioners pray that they or some of their number should be heard at the Bar of this honourable House as representatives of the unemployed, to set forth their grievances and to urge on behalf of the unemployed men and women the with-drawal of the Unemployment Bill, and in its stead the introduction of a Bill to give decent maintenance or provide employment at trade union rates for the unemployed who are enduring such great hardships; and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray, etc.(Signed) HARRY MCSHANE, PETER NEVILLE HARKER, and JOHN SAMUEL WILLIAMS.