'We have members who can't heat their homes': Darlington protestors demand a general election

Darlington People’s Assembly organised another demonstration following the big turn out from its first rally last month.

Members of the DPA and its supporters were protesting against the way the Conservative Party has run the country for the last 12 years and they were calling for a general election as soon as possible.

Various people prepared speeches today (Saturday, November 5) before opening the floor for an ‘open mic’ for anyone to have their say, many echoing the opinion that Britain is in a sorry state considering it is the fifth richest country in the world.

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

The protest was part of a wider movement as many other demonstrations were being held up and down the UK, including a huge protest in central London today.

Pat Buttle, chairwoman of Darlington Trade Union’s Council and Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers activist, said: “84 per cent of our members are using foodbanks. They’re just about managing to pay their bills but only if they go without food. That’s an absolute scandal in this day and age in the fifth richest country in the world. I don’t like leaders who say ‘don’t go on picket lines.’

“I’m pleased to see some people here who want to be parliamentarians have been on picket lines because it’s our duty to be on picket lines. It’s our duty to support other workers when they’re in struggle. If we don’t do that the Tories will win again.

“I’m seeing people not be able to feed their kids. I know all about poverty. I saw it as a child and I’m seeing it again now.”

Read more: In the eye of the winter storm

Neil Stockton, branch chair of Union and College Union at Darlington College, and regional vice chair of UCU, said: “Our members are in the process of currently balloting for industrial action. It’s taken a long time to get to this point. For 12 years our members have been taking pay cuts year after year. We love our jobs. We love our students. We worked right through the pandemic. We adapted and supported our students. That support has not been reciprocated. The pressure of getting a positive result from Ofsted is immense and in the background we’ve got a ballot running.

“People will make the case that we should be looking after our students. We will do our best to do that but at the end of the day, we have members who can’t heat, can’t eat and won’t be able to pay their bills, won’t be able to pay their mortgage or rent, and that is not acceptable.”

Neil Stockton, regional vice chair of UCU, said members of the UCU branch at Darlington College could not afford to pay their bills, pay their rent, or pay bills (Image: Aja Dodd, Newsquest)

Shad Chowdhury, originally from Darlington but now a resident of Thornaby, said: “The focus on individuals like Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak leads us astray. It’s ultimately the people who put them in power that we need to focus on.”

Shad Chowdhury said both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party have let the public down over the years (Image: Aja Dodd, Newsquest)

Peter Gibson MP told The Northern Echo earlier this week regarding the protest: “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.”

Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington (Image: Gov.uk)

Read next:

• Elderly ‘cut back on care’ as cost-of-living crisis bites
• Darlington councillors row over 'too little too late' cost of living crisis response
• Aycliffe charity opening its doors to help keep families warm during winter

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