Darlington protest in town centre calling for 'a general election now'

Darlington People’s Assembly (DPA) is holding a demonstration after its inaugural rally last month saw approximately 120 people gather on High Row to listen to selected speakers before an ‘open mic’ was held and ending in a march to the office of Darlington’s Conservative MP, Peter Gibson.

The group organising the protests is doing so due to a recent increased demand in those wanting a general election as soon as possible following a tumultuous few months in Westminster.

The rally will be held at 12pm on Saturday, November 5, at Pease Monument, and those protesting in Darlington are not the only ones, as many other similar protests nationwide are scheduled to take place for the Enough is Enough campaign.

The public gathered for the last protest organised by Darlington People's Assembly last month (Image: Aja Dodd, Newsquest)

Read more: Activists take to the streets of Darlington to protest about cost-of-living crisis

DPA coordinator Ashley Blakey said: “The time is long overdue for a real change of Prime Minister, not just regeneration after regeneration of the main actor, like in Dr Who.

“For more than 12 years, Conservative governments have lowered the standard of living of ordinary people and have victimised hard-working families to benefit the wealthy. Now we all face the hardest, coldest and hungriest winter in living memory and the Tories have no answer except to deliver austerity, austerity and austerity.

“Their time is up. The ridiculously frequent selection of new prime ministers is undemocratic. Their answers to disasters such as Covid and the energy crisis have put billions into the pockets.

“It has to end in a democratic way, at the polling booths.

“We demand a general election now.”

Darlington MP Peter Gibson told The Northern Echo: “We had a general election in 2019 and the next one is expected in 2024. This government has brought forward billions of pounds of support for people and these protesters time would be much better spent highlighting to the community the support that is actually available.”

Read next:

• Rally 'against' the Tories to be held in Darlington as MP responds with scathing words
• Darlington's Labour MP-hopeful and sitting Tory lock horns over issue of 'real living wage'
• 'We're haemorrhaging money': Durham business owners are struggling to cope

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