Labour should be bolder, 1914 strike rally told

Trade union leaders have taken part in the 40th Burston School Strike Rally and called on the new government to be more radical.

The annual event in Norfolk, which traditionally marks the beginning of the political year, commemorates the longest strike in history which was started by pupils atBurston's village school in 1914 and lasted for more than 25 years.

Speakers at Sunday's rally celebrated the end of Conservative government but said they were worried Labour was not doing enough to help working people.

The government said Chancellor Rachel Reeves would lay out her long-term tax and spending plans in the Budget on 30 October.

Hundreds of trade unionists and left-wing politicians from across the south and East of England travelled to be part of the event.

The Burston school strike rally ran from 1914-1939 after pupils at the local school walked out in protest at the dismissal of their teachers Tom and Kitty Higdon, who had been sacked allegedly for their trade unionist views.

The pair set up an alternative “strike school”, which was supported by most of the community against the wishes of the local education board.

This year's rally opened to cheers from the crowds as the compère declared that for the first time in 14 years there was no longer a Conservative government.

All the speakers expressed concern that the new government had the wrong priorities and questioned how much difference a Labour government would make to the country.

Steve O'Donnell, the Eastern regional secretary of Unite, told the rally: “The early signs are not great, some of the measures [Labour is] putting through worry me slightly."

He criticised what he called "Labour's phoney fiscal rules", which he said the party was using as an excuse to delay investment in public services. He called for a 1% wealth tax on the super rich to fund pay rises for public sector workers and investment in industry.

The government said it has been forced to make tough spending decisions due to the what it calls "a black hole" in the public finances left by the last government, something which the Conservatives dispute.

Mr O'Donnell told the BBC: "We need to ask Labour to be bold and to make sure they don't bring austerity back.

"We've had 14 years of Tory government and working people and over that time the most vulnerable in society have been kicked and pushed down.

"Now it's time for a different approach and for those people not to take the brunt and for Labour to impose taxes on the super rich."

The call for a wealth tax was echoed by Dr Patrick Roach, the general secretary of the teachers' union NASUWT.

Dr Roach told the rally: "Fixing the foundations does not mean the rich getting richer while the poorest struggle just to get by."

"It doesn't mean more foodbanks in our communities and it doesn't mean fearing the cost of keeping warm this winter."

"It's time to invest in our communities and public services and end the reckless policies which have driven economic failure and injustice."

Adrian Ramsay, the co-leader of the Green Party and MP for Waveney Valley, was met with cheers when he criticised the two-child benefit cap and the decision to restrict the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

The government said it has been forced to make tough spending decisions due to what it calls "a black hole" in the public finances left by the last government, something which the Conservatives dispute.

The government insisted that it would help those most in need and said that over the weekend it has launched a new campaign to encourage older people to check if they were eligible to receive pension credits.

It said Chancellor Rachel Reeves would lay out her long-term tax and spending plans in the Budget on 30 October.

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