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People’s Assembly cost-of-living demos take place across the country

“the People’s Assembly Against Austerity mounted nationwide cost-of-living crisis protests this weekend in response to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement”

Labour Outlook

By the Labour Outlook team

In response to the Chancellor’s recent Spring Statement, which made clear the return of austerity and a renewed assault on working class incomes – to the benefit of the most wealthy – the People’s Assembly Against Austerity mounted nationwide cost-of-living crisis protests this weekend.

To emphasise the impact of the Conservatives economic decisions this year, the protests took place the day after the new energy price cap came into place, and the day that social security and pensions rose, but with the annual award well below inflation at 3.1%, it translates as a cut in real income.

The events also took place in the wake of the sacking of 800 staff by P&O Ferries, demonstrating not only the coming cuts in pay and public service spending, but also the continued exploitation of employment law that allows companies to prioritise profit over people.

The slogans therefore reflected those two priorites – ‘Cost of Living Crisis – We Can’t Pay’ and ‘Justice for 800 P&O Workers’.

It was the third in a series of monthly actions by the People’s Assembly this year, and this was by far the largest, with protests taking place in at least 25 towns and cities.

In London, thousands packed into Whitehall for a protest at the gates of Downing Street, addressed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

People’s Assembly Chair and former Labour MP Laura Pidcock travelled to Liverpool to join Ian Byrne MP address a rally at the Pier Head.

Elsewhere, Beth Winter MP, Welsh Labour MP from the 2019 General Election, addressed the People’s Assembly demonstration in Cardiff before joining the The World Transformed’s first and packed out Cardiff Transformed event.

Protests also took place in Sheffield, where Olivia Blake MP, urged people to attend the local protest against the cost of living crisis.

And protesters also took to the streets in Manchester.

The number of events around the country demonstrate the growing concern with the cost-of-living crisis and the re-energising of the People’s Assembly movement, which has organised mass demonstrations against the government’s public services cuts and assaults on public sector pay since the early days of the 2010-2015 Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition Government.

The next announced public protest against the cost-of-living crisis is the national TUC demonstration ‘Britain Needs a Payrise’ on 18 June in central London.

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