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Thousands of people have taken to the streets of London to call for a general election now, along with more support for ordinary people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
The ‘Britain is Broken’ march on parliament was led by trade unions and community organisations, with speakers including Mick Lynch and Jeremy Corbyn. They were joined by climate protesters carrying Extinction Rebellion flags.
Organizers from the People’s Assembly campaign group said they wanted to “shutdown London” to force ministers to heed calls for a national poll, fairer pay deals, new cost-of-living support measures and more .
Jeremy Corbyn joined the demonstration near parliament
(Reuters)
Extinction Rebellion protesters taking part in the protest in London
(PA)
“The government is in deep crisis and the third prime minister in a matter of months has been decided by a small elite. We want working class people to join us on this day to show how angry and determined we are, and fight back against the new wave of austerity the government is forcing on us,” said Ramona McCartney, national organizer of the People’s Assembly
More than 465,000 people have signed a petition created by The Independent arguing that it is time for voters to decide who should rule the country as part of our Election Now campaign.
Among the speakers at Saturday’s protest were Mr. Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union, former Labor leader Mr. Corbyn, his former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Laura Pidcock, national secretary of the People’s Assembly and former Labor MP.
RMT boss Mick Lynch on the move
(PA)
A protester calls for the resignation of Secretary of the Interior Suella Braverman
(PA)
Corbyn, warning against a return to austerity, told a crowd in Trafalgar Square: “We now have a new prime minister and a new chancellor. I don’t have high hopes that this budget will come through.”
Mrs Pidcock said: “This Tory government is now completely incomprehensible, but outrage is not enough.
“We must come together as a movement to organize in the streets and in our communities, and show that our voices will not be silenced and that we want fundamental changes in the way our country is run.
“What I suspect is that it will be another tax giveaway for the super-rich.”
A mother who brought her seven-year-old twins to the protest said she wanted a change in leadership to help her make ends meet.
Speaking in Trafalgar Square, Michelle Uden, 34, who cares for her husband, who has epilepsy, at their home in New Eltham, south-east London, told PA: “Enough is enough. If we don’t stand up and fight, we will sit and cry.
Protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square
(PA)
“We want to get rid of Rishi Sunak, we want more funding for the NHS, we want it to stop being privatised.
“We want the Tories out, it’s the only way to get change.”
A poll for The Independent this week found that almost two-thirds (61%) of voters want an early election. Focus groups have also seen an increase in the desire for a new national vote from both Tory and Labor voters in recent weeks.
Ed Dorrell, director of research and strategy group Public First, said the demand for an election had come up “a lot more” in his recent focus groups. “There is a general feeling that the Conservative government has run out of steam, a general feeling that we have to start over,” he said.
Both Labor and the Lib Dems have stepped up their general election planning since Liz Truss was forced to resign, according to party sources.
The march for the general elections goes to Parliament
(PA)
The Conservatives are the third prime minister since the 2019 election
(PA)
More than 500 people have signed up to press MPs on the need for a vote at parliament meetings on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of a TUC-led “general election now” rally. Hundreds more are expected to join the march for a People’s Assembly for the November 5 elections.
The independent petition calling for a general election
It is a simple and fundamental principle that the government derives its democratic legitimacy from the people. The future of the country should not be decided by plots and twists at Westminster; it must be decided by the people in a general election. And that’s why The Independent calls for an election. Have your say and sign our election petition by clicking here.