Campaign saying ‘Enough is Enough’ to cost-of-living crisis gains 150,000 supporters in days
A campaign to fight the cost of living crisis, supported by some of our favourite popular figures, has picked up around 150,000 supporters in a matter of days.
But is Enough is Enough any good?
Here’s what the new organisation’s site says about itself:
Fair pay, affordable bills, enough to eat and a decent place to live. These aren’t luxuries – they are your rights!
Enough is Enough is a campaign to fight the cost of living crisis.
We were founded by trade unions and community organisations determined to push back against the misery forced on millions by rising bills, low wages, food poverty, shoddy housing – and a society run only for a wealthy elite.
Our five demands are clear:
1. A real pay rise
A significant rise in the national minimum wage and a path to £15 an hour, a real public sector pay rise, and an inflation busting-rise in pensions and benefits.
After decades of stagnation and real terms pay cuts, it’s time for a real pay rise.
That means rewarding the people who actually run this country, not the fat cats. We need public sector pay to increase in line with inflation and a pathway to a £15 p/h minimum wage.
It’s not just about those in work, either. There needs to be the same increase in pensions and benefits to ensure those who need support aren’t left behind.
Dodgy bosses shouldn’t be allowed to run rampant whilst employees feel the squeeze. We need to rebuild workers rights by restoring the right to effectively strike and banning zero-hours contracts and exploitative practices.
2. Slash energy bills
Cancel the October price hike and return to the significantly lower pre-April energy price cap
Energy bills are rocketing while fossil fuel giants make record profits. It’s set to get worse, with the energy price cap expected to soar to nearly £4,000 this winter. This increase will drag people under the poverty line, causing many to choose between heating and eating.
The government must face up to the reality that millions of people cannot take this price hike.
As an immediate measure, the October price hike should be cancelled and the significantly lower pre-April price cap restored, at £1,277 per year.
But that’s just the start: to address this long-term, energy companies must be brought into public ownership, with public investment in renewable energy to break the power of the oil giants.
3. End food poverty
Enshrine the Right to Food in law and put this into practice by introducing universal free school meals, community kitchens, and reinstating the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift.
Queues outside food banks and kids going hungry is a national disgrace. It’s time to put an end to that, once and for all.
Food is a basic right and that needs to be put into practice, introducing universal free school meals, community kitchens, and reinstating the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift.
No government can be allowed to dodge this duty, with a new independent regulatory body created that will hold the government to account with oversight and endorsement powers.
4. Decent homes for all
Cap rents, build 100,000+ council homes a year, insulate homes and introduce a charter for renters’ rights.
The housing market is rigged, making fortunes for property developers and greedy landlords while ripping-off millions, whether it’s through sky-high rents, abysmal quality or lack of availability.
Everyone should be guaranteed decent housing: capping rents and building 100,000+ public and council houses a year, improving quality by insulating homes and introducing a charter for renters’ rights and ensuring standards, especially in Housing Association facilities.
To ensure a decent supply of public housing and scrap right-to-buy. And as interest rates rise, no return to foreclosures: cap mortgage repayments for at-risk homeowners.
Limit the number of holiday homes in any area, limit AirBnBs and ensure they are taxed properly.
5. Tax the rich
Make the rich pay their fair share by raising taxes on the wealthiest and the profits of big businesses. Crack down on tax avoidance and evasion.
Big business and the super-rich have never had it so good. Britain has a record number of billionaires and multinational corporations are making record profits. It’s time we finally made them pay their fair share.
This can be done by introducing a wealth tax, raising taxes on corporate profits and on the top 5% of earners, closing tax dodging loopholes and abolishing non-dom status, increasing capital gains tax, and introducing new taxes on speculation.
And alongside that, we should be cutting the tax burden on working people, starting by reversing the recent hike to National Insurance.
We are building a campaign to win them.
That starts with holding rallies across Britain, forming community groups, organising picket line solidarity and taking action against the companies and individuals profiting from this crisis.
We can’t rely on the establishment to solve our problems. It’s up to us in every workplace and every community.
So, if you’re struggling to get by and your wages don’t cover the bills, if you’re fed up working harder for less and you’re worried about the future, or if you just can’t stand to see what’s happening to our country – join us.
Enough is enough. It’s time to turn anger into action.
Enough is Enough is supported by
In the coming weeks, Enough is Enough will be holding rallies across Britain.
We will be organising community groups, supporting picket lines and taking action against companies profiteering from this crisis.
Sign up to the campaign for details of events in your area, follow our social media accounts – and share our content to help turn anger into action.
Here’s a short video (from the Enough is Enough Twitter feed) giving a powerful message about the organisation’s mission:
Enough is enough. It's time to turn anger into action.
Join the campaign to fight the cost-of-living crisis.https://t.co/1SeHcIXdMr pic.twitter.com/sVFpFpXMe1
— Enough is Enough (@eiecampaign) August 8, 2022
The question is whether the solutions on offer are practical.
And that has yet to be proved.
Source: Enough is Enough – A campaign to fight the cost of living crisis
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
