Hundreds protest in the city centre over cost of living
CHANTS of “Boris out” and “Tories out” rang through Newcastle city centre as protesters gathered to highlight the cost of living crisis yesterday.
The rally, organised by the People’s Assembly, was held at Grey’s Monument to draw attention to the financial difficulties being felt by millions of households due to the rise in energy, food and petrol prices, as well as an upcoming National Insurance hike.
Around 100 to 200 people turned out, with placards reading “We won’t pay for the crisis”, “Cost of living crisis, we can’t pay” and “Johnson out”.
Labour MP Ian Lavery, who represents Wansbeck, was among the speakers at the rally.
He said: “I’m here today quite simply because the country’s on its knees. And the rich are getting richer.
“The recent announcements with regards to the economy are disastrous, they are chaotic for people. I’m not exaggerating.
“The recent Government financial economic and social announcements are going to mean that people are going to die.
“People cannot afford these increases. They really can’t. And they are so worried.
“We need to start a campaign of resistance against what this Government is imposing on many, many millions of people.
“There are too many people in poverty, there are too many people dying, there are too many people who can’t heat, who can’t eat, and yet the millionaires and billionaires – their riches continue to increase.
“It’s grotesquely wrong, the inequality continues.”
Daniel Kebede, National Education Union president and teacher, also spoke at the event and said working families were struggling to survive the rising costs of living.
He said: “It’s been horrendous. We have children coming into school hungry everyday.
“We talk about free school meals – they are not even getting breakfast.
“And then it’s hitting the pockets of our members severely – teachers being hit by these rising costs of gas bills, inflation, interest rates going up.
“This is coming off the back of a decade of wage stagnation and wage cuts. Teachers have 17% less in their pockets than they did in 2010. They can’t afford to be hit more.”
Mum-of-one Holly Sutherland, a project manager from Newcastle, was among those at the protest.
The 34-year-old said families were facing challenges across the board due rising costs and believed more help was needed for those in difficulty.
She said she had seen her energy costs double and her family had downsized to help cut costs, and knew people who were struggling despite being in full-time jobs.
She added: “I dread to think how people are surviving after benefit cuts and rising costs.”
Meanwhile, Ashington councillor Caroline Ball, who runs a school uniform project, said she was seeing many people struggling. She said: “They are having to choose between heating and eating. Absolutely everything is going up in prices.
“People are living in poverty, even those who are in work. We need to stand up and fight this.”
Another protest took place in the city centre on Saturday. “Kill the Bill” campaigners met at the Civic Centre and later moved to Grey’s Monument to rally against the Government’s controversial new police and crime bill.