Enough is Enough! Campaign to unite against cost of living crisis coming to Manchester

“Fair pay, affordable bills, enough to eat and a decent place to live. These aren’t luxuries – they are your rights!”

Enough is Enough aims to take action against inequality and the cost of living crisis happening across the country.

The North West division of the campaign is marching on to Manchester this weekend.

The campaign was founded by trade unions and community organisations determined to push back against “the misery forced on millions by rising bills, low wages, food poverty, shoddy housing – and a society run only for a wealthy elite.”

The Enough is Enough campaign was launched by Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT, which will be formally launched in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens this Saturday, the 1st of October 2022 at 12pm.

“If we fight we might lose – if we don’t fight we always lose.”

The campaign has achieved rapid success with over 500,000 people signing up for its 5 demands within just a few months of launching.

On October 1st, there are plans for a rally and speakers in Piccadilly Gardens from community groups, Trade Unions and Lamin Touray from Coronation Street has agreed to speak.

“I saw the Enough is Enough campaign and just thought, that’s exactly what everyone is feeling,” said Lamin.

He continued: “I don’t think anyone remembers when times have been this hard. The government needs to sit up and listen to the people – it can’t go on like this!”

Organisers say the campaign is going to put working-class people back at the heart of British politics, and organise in communities to directly support people who are struggling this winter.

Clare Kelly, a self-employed tradesperson from Stretford who has joined the campaign has said:

“Government aren’t going to help us. When you’re self-employed like me all our bills are shooting through the roof.

“I have friends that run pubs who just don’t know how they’re going to pay the bills. And all the while they’re cutting taxes for the super-rich and lifting pay caps on bankers’ pay.

“If the government aren’t going to step in, we’re going to have to help ourselves, help each other.”

The group says it is focused on 5 key demands – getting a pay rise for British workers, slashing energy bills and bringing energy into public ownership, ending food poverty, decent homes for all and taxing the rich.

Organisers say they plan to bring together foodbanks and clothes banks, Trade Unions and groups supporting those in debt or at threat of eviction as the cost of living crisis bites, providing direct support and assistance to working people on the breadline.

“The demands are one thing,” says Joe, a support worker and member of community campaign group 0161 who is backing the campaign. “We’ve got to make the demands from the government but we’re going to have to look after each other too – making sure the people who can’t put the gas on this winter, who can’t afford the bills or pay the groceries or have the bailiffs knocking on the door, are getting direct support from their communities.

“If working-class people don’t help themselves, it’s pretty clear no one else is.”

You can register to join the campaign here