Protesters stage demo outside Crewe MP's office calling for 'welfare not warfare'
We Demand Change North Staffs and South Cheshire organised a demonstration outside Connor Naismith MP's office in Crewe on Saturday 10 May, calling for "welfare not warfare."
The demo on Edleston Road was supported by Crewe and District Trades Council, East Cheshire People's Assembly Against Austerity, NorSCARF, a local branch of the National Education Union, NHS Workers Say No, North Staffordshire Disabled People Against Cuts, and SCANS Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Activists present made a series of demands including no to austerity 2.0, tax the rich, save our schools, and stop arming Israel.
Convenor of the East Cheshire People's Assembly, Sam Colclough, told Nub News: "Everyone knows how damaging austerity was the last time it was inflicted on our communities.
"Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, the public sector was decimated, and UK life expectancy reduced by almost half a year.
"This government is trying to deliver austerity 2.0 with its means testing of winter fuel allowance and cuts to disability benefits just the beginning. We will fight this every step of the way.
"Our MP Connor Naismith belongs to the party doing this to his community and he needs to stand against this programme of cuts and stand up for the people of Crewe.
"At the moment, he is betraying those who voted for him last year, as well as those who didn't."
Next, We Demand Change North Staffs and South Cheshire is building for the 'People's Assembly's Welfare not Warfare' national demonstration in London on Saturday 7 June.
Secretary of Crewe and District Trades Council, Nina Hammill, said: "We are fed up with greed, lies and poverty. The government tells us there's no money. That's a lie.
"They never have any trouble finding plenty of money for wars, including Genocide in Gaza, and they tell racist lies, blaming migrants for public service cuts while they line their pockets.
"Migrants are not responsible for cuts in services, in fact they help keep our services running.
"The combined wealth of the richest people in Britain stands at nearly £800 billion while working class people struggle to make ends meet.
"We stand in solidarity with our siblings against the attacks on trans rights. We elected our MP to listen to us and represent us but he is letting us down.
"Labour need to start taxing the rich instead of giving them tax breaks at our expense."
Connor Naismith MP, responded to the demonstration, saying: "I support the right to demonstrate peacefully and believe this is a fundamental part of our democracy.
"I am also a committed trade unionist and campaigner for greater levels of social justice and equality.
"I am, however, disappointed that this demonstration took place without any prior attempt to engage with me or my office on the issues at hand.
"I have always made it clear that I want to be a visible, accessible constituency MP and my door has always been open to those wishing to express views about government policy or my own record.
"If I had been given that opportunity, I would have pointed to my own track record of supporting government where they are getting it right and challenging them where I believe they are getting it wrong.
"Most notably, my calls to review the threshold at which winter fuel payments are means tested and around cuts to disability benefits."
READ MORE: Property of the Week: Newly decorated Crewe flat available this May.
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