NATALIE Bennett, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, will speak at an End Austerity Now public meeting in Manchester tonight hosted by the Communications Workers’ Union.
The People’s Post event (1) is part of the People's Assembly's National Week of Action, which has been organised to challenge the government’s austerity agenda. The Conservative Party Conference is currently taking place in Manchester.
Other speakers at tonight's event include Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, and leading left-wing commentator Owen Jones.
Speaking from Manchester, Bennett said:
"The Green Party is pleased to support the People's Post campaign. Tonight we will continue to send a clear message that austerity has failed and that we demand policies that benefit the 99%, not just the 1%.
"Royal Mail is a critically important institution. It must continue to provide the basic services on which individuals, businesses and our society depends – daily deliveries, local post offices and new services as technology develops.
"As an essential public service this should, ideally, be provided through public ownership. But before it is returned, protecting workers' public voice in its running is critically important.
"As a major national institution, the standard of workers' pay and conditions must be fair and decent. Insecure zero-hours contracts and low pay are unacceptable.
"Privatisation has been a disaster in the NHS, a disaster in our criminal justice system and is causing massive costs to communities around the country. It has to end.”
1) The event takes place tonight (5 October) 19:00 to 21:00 at Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester M3 1SX GB.