The People’s Assembly (or People’s Assembly Against Austerity to give it it’s full name) was founded in 2013 to bring together progressive left trade unions, campaigns, and activists in a movement against austerity. It aimed to “push the arguments against austerity” that it saw as missing from British politics at that time, and to fight for those people it saw as being hit by Government policies, including low-paid workers, disabled people, unemployed people, the young, black, minority and ethnic groups and women.

The People’s Assembly was launched on 22 June 2013, when more than 4,000 people attended a conference at Westminster Central Hall in London. This followed meetings and rallies across the country including Glasgow, Nottingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Pembrokeshire, Brighton & Hove, Southend, Derby, Leicester, North London and South East London. The launch was accompanied by the following appeal to the movement:

“This is a call to all those millions of people in Britain who face impoverishment and uncertainty as their wages, jobs, conditions and welfare provisions are under renewed attack by the government.

With 80% of austerity measures still to come, and with the government lengthening the time they expect cuts to last, we are calling a People’s Assembly Against Austerity to bring together campaigns against cuts and privatisation with trade unionists in a movement for social justice. We aim to develop a strategy for resistance to mobilise millions of people against the Con Dem government.

The assembly will provide a national forum for anti-austerity views which, while increasingly popular, are barely represented in parliament. A People’s Assembly can play a key role in ensuring that this uncaring government faces a movement of opposition broad enough and powerful enough to generate successful co-ordinated action, including strike action. The assembly will be ready to support co-ordinated industrial action and national demonstrations against austerity, if possible, synchronising with mobilisations across Europe.

Get involved by joining a local group, volunteering or donating to the People’s Assembly.”

and a letter to the Guardian whose initial signatories included:

Tony Benn President, Coalition of Resistance, Len McCluskey, General secretary, Unite the Union, Mark Serwotka, General secretary, PCS, Bob Crow, General secretary, RMT, Mick Whelan, General secretary, Aslef, Caroline Lucas MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Tariq Ali, Author, John Pilger, Journalist, Ken Loach, Filmmaker, Merry Cross, Disabled People Against the Cuts, John Hendy QC, Co-chair, People’s Charter, Zita Holbourne Co-chair, Black activists rising against the cuts, Anita Wright, Secretary, National Association of Women, Lindsey German, Convenor, Stop the War Coalition, Kate Hudson, General secretary, CND, Bruce Kent Peace, campaigner, Josie Long, Comedian, Francesca Martinez, Comedian, John Rees, Counterfire editorial board, Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party England and Wales and Robert Griffiths, General secretary, Communist Party of Britain.

Since 2013, the People’s Assembly has mobilised millions of people on the streets in opposition to austerity cuts, privatisation, inequality, poverty and injustice. We have seen off a Tory government that, with it’s 14 years of austerity, brought the country to its knees. However, the new Labour government, elected in July 2024, has ploughed on with the same austerity policies, meaning that the damage to public services and communities continues. We all know where this is leading – an entrenched Austerity 2.0. A failed model which, far from solving the UK’s economic problems, has deepened them, with depressed wages, cuts to public service jobs, created insecurity for disabled people and financial insecurity across the board. Austerity continues. As does our campaigning.

We organise in a collective way, bringing people together on a local, regional and national level. By working together collectively, uniting on what we agree on, avoiding racist (or other) divisions we can create a mass movement to force the progressive and radical change we need.

The People’s Assembly is currently backed by ASLEF, BFAWU, FBU, Musicians Union, NEU, PCS, RMT, TSSA, UCU and Unite trade unions and regional branches throughout the UK. It also includes numerous campaigning groups, such as Disabled People Against the Cuts, We Own It, the National Pensioners Convention and the National Association of Women. The People’s Assembly is organised via a steering group made up of supporting trade unions and other affiliated organisations and campaign groups. To discuss affiliation, please contact us via email – office@peoplesassembly.org.uk

By working together collectively, as an umbrella, uniting on what we agree on, avoiding racist (or other) divisions we can create a mass movement to force the progressive and radical change we need.

We have many local People’s Assembly groups throughout the U.K. See our website for details of local groups – www.thepeoplesassembly.org. If there is no local group near you and you’d be willing to consider starting up a group, please contact us. We can support you to set up a local group.