Tears shed over austerity stories
VICTIMS of Tory austerity told of their misery at the Mirror’s Real Britain fringe meeting.
Their moving speeches left some delegates in tears.
Amina Weston told how a rogue landlord kicked her out of her home while she was three months pregnant.
“My world torn apart, my life ripped from under me,” she said. Her family is now in temporary housing in Leeds.
New mum Ms Weston, 23, has since set up a charity, Education Aid, to help people buy school uniforms.
Stacey Bridge ran into financial problems paying for her dad’s funeral after he was murdered in Liverpool. She said she volunteered at a foodbank after receiving aid. She said: “It’s more than a bag of food.” Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell praised the Mirror’s Real Britain column, written by Ros Wynne-Jones. He said it had exposed experiences that should shame us. Meanwhile, ex-Wales and Everton keeper Neville Southall told ministers to take a Commons oath so they can be held to account for lying. Now a social media activist, he often hands over his Twitter account to charities he believes need a wider audience, such as child abuse or drugs causes.