We are facing a cost of living crisis. Inflation has already reached 7.5% (RPI, or 5.4% CPI). Wages are not keeping up. The Triple Lock for pensions has been broken and Universal Credit cut. In April we face an increase to National Insurance at the same time as a further hike in fuel bills.

We can already see how some will try to spin the cost of living crisis to serve their agendas. They want to use it to justify cuts to public services and the scrapping of environmental measures. And they will no doubt try to blame workers who try to defend their living standards.

Ofgem will announce the next increase to fuel bills on 7 February so we will be holding a rally and march in Manchester on Saturday 12 February to demand action on the cost of living crisis.

The demonstration will make demands which aim to unite those campaigning over different aspects of the cost of living crisis, from strikers to campaigners over housing, pensions, benefits, poverty, health and climate.

The protest has been called by Manchester Trades Union Council and Manchester People’s Assembly Against Austerity and is attracting a rapidly growing list of backers which you can see on the Facebook event: rebrand.ly/GM-COL.