Politicians in ‘last chance saloon’ as union leader launches campaign

Politicians have been warned they are in the “last chance saloon” as a union leader launched a new campaign.

Speaking at the STUC congress in Dundee on Tuesday afternoon, the body’s general secretary Roz Foyer announced plans to march on Holyrood in October as part of the “Scotland Demands Better” campaign alongside the Poverty Alliance.

One of the major themes of the event this week was tackling the far-right, with Ms Foyer telling delegates: “Our mainstream politicians are entering the last chance saloon of public opinion.

“If they don’t deliver for working people and stand up to the billionaire class, it’s becoming increasingly clear that voters will seek answers elsewhere.

“The far-right are making gains because they address how people are actually feeling.

“Exploited, undervalued and with their trust in our traditional parties broken by years of unkept promises. But the promises of the far-right are based on lies.”

She added: “We will build the campaign to demand better from our politicians.

“We will unite, we will unify, we will collectivise and we will join with progressive groups across Scotland, like the members of the Poverty Alliance, as part of the Scotland Demands Better campaign, to mobilise across every workplace and in every working class community.

“And together, united and fearless, on Saturday October 25, we will march on the Scottish Parliament, to deliver a stark warning to our politicians: the backlash against the bullies and the billionaires has begun.

“We demand that they take the side of the people, and start delivering for us.

“This is the task that lies ahead of us, congress, and I know that if we work together, we will surely prevail because when Scotland’s workers are united, we are more powerful than we can dare to imagine.”

Reacting to the announcement, Charlotte Lawley-Powell, the director of operations at the Poverty Alliance, said she hoped “thousands” would take to the street in October.

“Despite welcome commitments from our politicians progress around social, economic and environmental justice is just too slow, and in many areas, things are actually going backwards,” she added.

“Too many people don’t have the stable foundation they need to build a better life for themselves and their households, and a better future for our country.

“It simply doesn’t have to be like this.

“Now is the time to tell our political leaders that Scotland demands better.”