The People’s Assembly held a Mass Lobby outside Labour conference in Liverpool on Sunday the 22nd of September. It was rainy, it was cold but we made sure our voices were heard.

In Liverpool, the People’s Assembly laid down an important marker: we will not sit back and allow Austerity 2.0 to destroy more of our public services, local resources & communities.

We always said (when it became obvious that Starmer’s Labour was going to form the next government), that we would not shy away from challenging them if they kept damaging austerity measures in place – because it is not a necessity, it is a choice.

The policies they are pursuing – including taking away the winter fuel allowance from millions of pensioners, refusing to roll out free school meals, sticking by the two-child benefit cap imposed by the previous, Tory administration – are presented as “tough choices” but that is patent nonsense. They are easy choices, that attack those with the least, to show the Tory press & political establishment how “tough” they are going to be in government. The real tough choices would be to attack the rich and their hidden wealth.

So, we gathered under the banner: ‘Austerity is a Political Choice: Tax the Rich’ and we were joined by ‘Sir Kid Starver’ and ‘Rachel Thieves’, who greeted delegates as they went into the conference, taking money from the begging bowls of the poor & giving it to their ‘fat cat’ mates.

There were also fantastic, powerful speeches from Phil Clarke (President, NEU), Fran Heathcote (General Secretary, PCS), Alex Gordon (President, RMT), Samira Ali (Stand Up to Racism), Alan Gibbons (Liverpool Community Independents), Felicity Dowling (Keep Our NHS Public) and Steph Pike (Manchester Stop the War), all stressing the links between austerity, poverty and the rise of racism & the far right.

Despite the rain, we had great support, with people coming from all over the country & from many different campaigns. We will build the campaign to reverse austerity cuts & build an alternative view of society – and come back even bigger & stronger next year.

With thanks to Neil Terry Photography & other local People’s Assembly activists for the photos.