Huge turnovers reported at UK cost of living protests | UK cost of living crisis

[ad_1]

Thousands have gathered in dozens of towns and cities across the UK to register their anger at the cost of living crisis in what organizers describe as the largest wave of simultaneous protests seen in Britain for years.

From Eastbourne to Edinburgh, Newcastle to Norwich, huge turnouts were described throughout the UK at protests timed to coincide with the jump in gas and electricity unit prices that will cause bills to soar.

Coordinated between multiple community organizations and trade unions to maximize their impact, Saturdays protests were staged against a backdrop of the biggest rail strike in Britain for decades.

At Kings Cross in central London, however, the stations vast forecourt was crammed with crowds of protesters.

Teaching assistant Farzana Khanom, 23, said she was having to choose between paying rising energy bills and investing in her career.

But if we come together and make our voices heard then perhaps we can make a difference, she said.

Nearby, below a sea of ​​fluttering union banners and the red smoke of a flare, pensioner Paul Mason, 66, said he had turned up because the volume of protesters had the potential to resonate.

Jade Anderson from Taunton (centre) attends the Enough is Enough rally at Kings Cross. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

It depends on how many people turn up of course, what the size of the groundswell is. Eventually they might listen but Im not hopeful. For the past 13 years they [the Tories] have destroyed the country. Working people cannot afford to live.

His friend Sarah Golden, 52, added: I felt so powerless, we cant vote for example. I wanted to try to make a difference so decided to come here.

As she spoke, the number of signatures on a recently launched petition calling for a general election to end the chaos of this government soared above 300,000.

Across the UK reports of householders setting fire to their utility bills emerged, a symbolic gesture promoted by Dont Pay UK, a grassroots movement that has received almost 200,000 pledges from householders who are prepared to cancel their direct debits if a million Britons commit to not paying .

Originally, the campaigns anonymous organizers had pledged not to pay from Saturday, the date when regulator Ofgems price cap was due to rise, if a million people had signed up. The scale would give safety in numbers from repercussions, they argued.

Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The cap had been due to increase by 80% to 3,549 from 1 October, and then hit 5,400 in January. Instead, under Liz Trusss energy price guarantee an average annual bill will be capped at 2,500 for two years as of Saturday.

The movement was started in June by a small group of friends, who have remained anonymous for fear of consequences.

Those involved in the campaign appear to fit into two groups: those who cannot pay their bills this winter and those ideologically opposed to the large profits made in certain sections of the energy industry who want to send a message to large businesses by not paying.

People burn their utility bills at cost of living protests video

Well keep building the strike until the 1 million threshold but local groups have also been building the structures we need in our local communities to protect ourselves and each other from the cold this winter, the spokesman adds.

The campaigners big precedent, the poll tax riots, took 4 million people refusing to pay some of whom faced liability orders forcing them to pay to get the government to scrap the levy.

Whether this movement can reach that scale remains to be seen, but perhaps a freezing winter, blackouts and the prospect of civil unrest could trigger further action from the government.

[ad_2]