Cost of living crisis: Trade unionists and campaigners demonstrate in Inverness city centre against UK government spending cuts
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Trade unionists and community campaigners gathered in Inverness city centre to demonstrate against UK government spending cuts and the cost-of-living crisis.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced cuts worth billions of pounds plus tax rises aimed at rebuilding the economy when he delivered last week’s autumn statement in the House of Commons.
In a symbolic gesture, a small group of campaigners gathered to post an eviction notice at the constituency office of Highlands and Islands Conservative MSPs in Drummond Street on Saturday.
It followed a rally organised last month by activists from RMT, CWU and GMB unions along with Living Rent and the National Shop Stewards’ Network (NSSN) to launch a campaign highlighting the cost of living crisis in the Highlands.
Sean Robertson, GMB Scotland representative at NHS Highland, was among those taking part.
He acknowledged that the symbolic eviction notice was served at the office used by MSPs as opposed to MPs.
“This is the ironic thing,” he said. “There are very few Conservative MPs in Scotland.”
He said he and others were trying to make the point that the government had been in power for 12 years although Scotland had not voted for a Conservative government for 70 years.
“The government at the moment was elected by a tiny number of MPs,” he said.
“They have no mandate to make the cuts.”
Mr Robertson maintained people’s living standards were dropping and that workers’ right were being attacked.
“They are attacking pay and conditions and basically making the cost of living worse,” he said of the government which maintains its approach is necessary and the best way of addressing the current crisis.
