A PROTEST march opposing the bedroom tax has been organised for Redcar at the weekend.

Redcar and Cleveland Labour Group are encouraging protesters to gather at Majuba car park at 11am on Saturday before heading to a rally at the clock tower in the town centre for 11.45am.

The speakers will include Councillor George Dunning the leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Anna Turley, the Labour and Co-operative prospective parliamentary candidate for Redcar, Councillor Lynn Pallister, the council’s cabinet member for housing and neighbourhood renewal, and Kim Gallagher, chairman of Coast and County Housing tenants panel.

Coun Lynn Pallister said: "The bedroom tax introduced by the coalition government will hurt our borough’s vulnerable, least well off residents the hardest. They will be forced to pay between £11 per week for one spare bedroom and £20 for two.

"I have spoken to many people who are deeply distressed by this policy; they cannot afford to pay the tax and fear it may force them out of their homes and the communities in which they have lived their entire lives.”

Coun George Dunning, the leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, added: "It cannot be right for the Government to give thousands of pounds in tax cuts to millionaires whilst imposing a bedroom tax on our most vulnerable citizens who already struggling to make ends meet."

News of the march was announced at the latest full council meeting, where a motion condemning the “bedroom tax” was approved.

But Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Abbott said Ed Miliband’s Labour had “no intention” of repealing it, accused Labour councillors of being “disingenuous” and accused Coast & Country of being “politically biased” in campaigning against it.

Speaking after the meeting Anna Turley said: "It was particularly disappointing that Liberal Democrat and Tory councillors abstained on the motion against the bedroom tax at the last meeting of the full council. Local residents will be wondering why their Lib Dem and Tory councillors are not fighting for them, failing to oppose this unfair policy.”

The motion was passed in a recorded vote, 32 councillors voted for the motion, with eight abstentions.