Enough is Enough Portsmouth- A Powerful Display of Working Class Solidarity
This article was originally published to Spyglass Magazine in October 2022.
This Saturday, Guildhall Square came to life with the voices of hundreds, discontented with the state of our government and our economy. The chant “cut back, fight back” echoed through the streets in one of the largest demonstrations Portsmouth has seen in recent times, a powerful display of working class solidarity.
The protest comes in the context of a hopeless new government- headed by the unsuitable Liz Truss, who was voted in by 0.1% of the United Kingdom’s population- and a worsening cost of living crisis, in which we have seen price hikes in food, energy, and rent. Last week alone, Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget was so disastrous that it caused inflation of food prices to surge and required intervention from the Bank of England. Working people are no longer willing to be complacent in this elite incompetency, and rightfully so.
Enough is Enough is a campaign founded by trade unions and community organisations, demanding an end to the cost of living crisis. They have five demands: a real pay rise; a slash of energy bills; an end to food poverty; decent homes for all; and taxation of the rich. They argue that it is up to us to fight for these demands. Saturday saw over 40 protests of this nature take place nationwide, including in Portsmouth, where strength was found in the city’s unity.
Jon Woods, the leader of Portsmouth Trades Council and a spokesperson at the protest, said that he felt that this outcry was a long time coming- but he believed things were starting to move very quickly. He said he felt hopeful after seeing the high turnout and shared his ambitions for future action, citing the value of “grassroots rebellion and revolt from below”.
An example of this revolution can be found in the strike action which coincided with the October 1st demonstrations. Over 170,000 workers walked out on Saturday in the largest wave of industrial action so far, with postal workers in the PO area code making up 13,000 of this figure. In support of these strikes, Woods stated that “instead of being passive victims, people are starting to take action themselves”. This mobilisation is vital in the advancement of the Enough is Enough cause. We must stand together to demand change.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Enough is Enough campaign or you’d like to get involved, information can be found on their website.
