“13 years of Tory policies have forced hundreds of thousands of people into dire poverty unable to feed their families or heat their homes.”
By Steph Pike, Peoples Assembly Against Austerity
The Tories holding what is likely to be their final conference in Manchester, a Tory-free zone with a long history of radical politics, is either the height of arrogance or a strange form of masochism. So unpopular both locally and nationally, this discredited government will be discussing their policies of division and hatred behind a ring of steel, protected by thousands of their bully boy mates, the Police.
13 years of Tory policies have forced hundreds of thousands of people into dire poverty unable to feed their families or heat their homes, have brought our NHS to its knees and systematically dismantled the infrastructure and services we have relied on, have fanned the flames of racism and presided over a police force that rather than protecting us has been exposed as the perpetrators of racism and violence against women, and have attacked our right to strike and right to protest.
But this Tory government has done much worse; with their politics of austerity responsible for at least 300,000 deaths, Tory policies are literally killing us.
The People’s Assembly Against Austerity, a broad, united campaign bringing together unions and campaigners to fight against cuts and austerity, is organising a national demonstration on Sunday the 1st October in Manchester and a series of events during the four days the Tories are in Manchester to give them the clearest message that not only are they not welcome in Manchester but that the whole country is united against their politics of hate, destruction and division.
Meetings will be held throughout the four day period by a wide range of campaigns and organisations including CND, Stop the War and SUTR with many more to be confirmed. Take Back Theatre will host an evening of anti-tory theatre and the four days of protest will begin on the Saturday with joint action with striking ASLEF workers, a huge unwelcome to Tory delegates arriving in Manchester. This will be followed by an evening launch event with speakers and artists from across the country.
We want to make this festival of anti-tory protest as loud and vibrant as possible. For this to happen we need as many people as possible to get involved. Wherever you are in the country you can help make this happen. Coaches are being booked from across the country to join the national demo on Sunday 1st October.
Come to Manchester for the four days of events and volunteer. There are so many ways to get involved. To find out how you can help get in touch with the People’s Assembly.
The events in Manchester during the Tory Party Conference are also an opportunity for us to come together and discuss the future we would like to see and how to achieve it.
But first we have to get rid of the Tories.
Let’s unite together in Manchester and take the Tories down!
- Join the National Demonstration at Tory Party Conference 2023 – assembling at All Saints Park, Oxford road, Manchester, at 12 noon on October 1st.
- Take part in the Peoples’ Assembly Big Night Out on Saturday 30th September – more info here.
- Steph Pike is the joint-Secretary of the Peoples Assembly Against Austerity Manchester, you can follow the People’s Assembly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
