KATE OSBORNE: The budget did nothing for our communities – just the rich!

The world of politics was turned on its head when Liz Truss was elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.
"There are now over two million people who have to rely on a foodbank.""There are now over two million people who have to rely on a foodbank."
"There are now over two million people who have to rely on a foodbank."

Truss’ first budget was our first glimpse of the direction she intends to take our country.

Unsurprisingly, it was a budget that did nothing for our communities and was a shameless budget for the rich.

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A budget that has already failed, the pound has crashed to an all-time low, the Bank of England has had to step in because Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss cannot be trusted with our economy.

A budget that even the international monetary fund have said will increase inequality - they have said the Conservatives should reconsider and reverse the decision to abolish the top rate of income tax. They are destroying our economy and failing our communities.

Of course this comes after a decade of Tory cuts that have ripped apart many of our communities, this Conservative Government’s legacy will be one of grinding poverty and making people worse off by the day.

There are now over two million people who have to rely on a foodbank while eight million are in work poverty, nearly seven million people are skipping meals to stay afloat and five million families are unable to put the heating on this winter.

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What is even more heart-breaking is that behind each statistic lies the face of a nurse, a teacher, a bus driver or a care worker. This simply cannot be allowed to continue.

Each number represents an individual who has been pushed to the brink – below a level of hardship and suffering not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

So what does our new Conservative Government do? Introduce big tax cuts for the wealthiest, remove the bankers' bonus cap, and provide handouts to big business and energy giants – whilst attacking part-time workers, trade unions, and reducing benefits for the most vulnerable.

The Tories expect people to be grateful that energy bills are not now quadrupling when they have already doubled.

Now it is time to scream - enough is enough!

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We can't have the cost of living continue to rise to extortionate levels while wages stay the same and that's why I'm supporting workers taking strike action on Saturday.

We need to keep the momentum going. A big fight lies ahead but it is a fight that we need to win – and we will!