“The call for ‘No to Tory corruption’ follows the revelation of huge public-sector contracts being awarded to private companies without serious scrutiny or tendering, including to those known to be friends of Tory MPs.”
By the Labour Assembly Against Austerity Team
The People’s Assembly Against Austerity takes to the streets again on Saturday 26 June with a mass protest against the Conservative Government, condemning them for failing ordinary people during the pandemic and setting out a series of demands on the measures needed to deliver economic recovery that delivers for those who need it most.
Labour members should join the events on the day.
The demonstrations, both in London and in other local towns, are the first major People’s Assembly demos since the 2019 General Election and must be a vital priority for the Left.
Centrally, and in light of the stresses placed on the NHS during the pandemic, the demo calls for a ‘Properly Funded, Fully Publicly Owned NHS’ and the call for ‘No to Tory corruption’ follows the revelation of huge public-sector contracts being awarded to private companies without serious scrutiny or tendering, including to those known to be friends of Tory MPs, whilst at the same time health workers struggled without proper equipment.
More widely, the People’s Assembly have set out a swathe of economic demands, including ‘Save Workplaces, Save Jobs, ‘End Fire and Rehire’ and ‘Renationalise Key Industries’.
Sectoral demands include ‘Decent Housing for All’, Keep the Market out of Education’, ‘Fully Funded Social Care’ and ‘Tackle the Climate Emergency’.
The Labour Assembly Against Austerity has also been advancing a similar programme of political demands, with it’s People’s Plan, now endorsed by over 20,000 people. That People’s Plan demands the Labour Party ‘Defend Living Standards and Jobs’, including through investment in infrastructure and through minimum earnings guarantee, and prioritises ‘Rebuilding to tackle the Climate Catastrophe and Achieve Social Justice’, ‘Universal, Publicly-Owned Services’ and ‘Equality for All’, challenging the Trump-inspired, Tory-led, war on vital struggles such as Black Lives Matter.
The People’s Assembly demo demands and the complementary Labour Assembly People’s Plan both defend and build upon the key tenets of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour election manifestos in 2017 and 2019 and set out the need for greater public investment in – and public accountability for – our economy, to put people, jobs and livelihoods before the the private profits of the 1%.
It is vital that Labour members are seen supporting the demands in the build-up and on the day, both on the streets in London or in your own locality, and online.
- Join the Labour bloc with Labour Assembly Against Austerity on the day on Saturday 26 June and help Labour Outlook get out a newsletter featuring articles from Richard Burgon, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Jeremy Corbyn.
- For details of when and where to meet on 26 June – see: https://www.facebook.com/events/2914595268814260/
For the People’s Assembly demands – see: https://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/
