Britain Is Broken - We can't Afford The Tories - Mass Rally.

When Theresa May was gifted the role of Prime Minister from a disgraced and departing David Cameron, she stood outside Downing Street and delivered the following message:
“I would like to pay tribute to David Cameron for the leadership he has shown our part and our country… We need to unite our country and we need a strong new positive vision for the future of our country.  A vision of a country that works not for the privileged few but that works for every one of us. And that’s how together we will build a better Britain.”
What we’ve seen, however, is quite the opposite. Rising rents and prices. Falling wages in real terms. Unprecedented levels of homelessness and child poverty. The return of Victorian illnesses caused by malnutrition. Crippling household and personal debt directly attributable to austerity policies.
Despite Theresa May's announcement  that austerity is over, the realities for millions of people is quite the opposite. The Government shows no sign of stopping austerity. Every section of society is at breaking point  from our underfunded NHS, schools without supplies, councils unable to provide even basic services, and millions on poverty wages unable to provide for their families.
The government has repeatedly stated that they are committed to building a country that works for everyone, but the truth of the matter is they simply could not give a damn, as they continue to show their complete and utter contempt for the poor, the disabled and the vulnerable. At the same time the gap between the very rich  and the rest is wider  in Britain than in any other large country in Europe, and  society is the most unequal it has been since shortly after the First World War.
We cannot let this go on. As the Tories actions continue to be marked by incompetance and farce, it is time for all of them to go as soon as possible for the greater good of all. Theresa May and co should not be left to cause even more irreplaceable harm to our country.
As a result of all of this on 2 March, the People’s Assembly Against Austerity has organised a mass rally in Haverfordwest called: Britain Is Broken – We can’t Afford The Tories. This is the latest in a UK-wide ‘tour’ to highlight the devastating effects of Tory austerity.which they say is now cutting deep into every layer of society.
Goodwick based Jim Scott, of Pembrokeshire People’s Assembly, one of the main organisers of the rally, says :"Tory austerity has been an utter disaster. It has always been an ideological and economically illiterate policy. After nearly a decade of savage cuts to every layer of society, working-class people are suffering under the heavy weight of austerity while the wealth of a privileged few has tripled."
Because, as Scott continued: " The Tories are engaged in a shameless and cynical agenda; transferring wealth from the public purse into the pockets of the super rich. The Tories are literally picking the bones of our society and it is time for them to go. We need a general election now! Here in Pembrokeshire there is no way that Crabb will not survive at the ballot box, it's time for him and Hart to go too"
Ahead of the rally, the People’s Assembly has been touring around Pembrokeshire, Wales, with ‘Sanctioned Steve’. Steve is “the Tory’s skeleton in the closet”.

So far, Sanctioned Steve has visited the Job Centre to ask them why they were fulfilling sanctioning targets over people's welfare and causing soo many people to suffer. The Tories brutal sanctioning regime has forced thousands to go without any form of income for 100 days or longer in some cases. Creating homelessness, poverty and destitution. Universal Credit roll out is making this problem even worse.
The local PATCH  charity food bank to show his solidarity with the victims of Tory austerity in Pembrokeshire who have been forced to collect a total of 3,500 'five-day' food parcels in the last year alone.
Steve also wonders how his Tory MP Stephen Crabb has the audacity to pose for photos at the foodbank but keeps voting for austerity every chance he gets.
He’ll also visit Welsh Citizens Advice Bureaux, to question them about £51m the DWP “gave them to run a benefits support service and ask them if they can really run an impartial service while taking backhanders from the Tories! Steve isn't so sure! Also a  trip to Crabb's Office (to ask him why he always votes for cuts) 
You can follow Sanctioned Steve’s tour on Facebook.
Preseli Pembrokeshire has been Conservative since MP Stephen Crabb was first elected to parliament in 2005. In 2015, he held the seat with a majority of almost 5,000. By 2017, that majority had crashed to just 314. As a crowdfunder to raise money for the rally says, the former DWP secretary “is universally disliked”.
Pembrokeshire People’s Assembly has “campaigned tirelessly” for six years “to highlight” the impact of austerity “and cuts” which Crabb has voted for. In 2017 huge crowds gathered for a similar event to #UnSeatCrabb. Just "one last push" is needed to remove him from his seat in any future General Election.

Scott concludes: "Tory austerity has failed… [It] has been a shameless transference of wealth from the public purse into the pockets of the super rich. It’s as simple as that. The Tories are picking the bones of our society and it is time for them to go." 

The rally is due to assemble at 2pm on 2 March in Castle Square, Haverfordwest. Speakers will include former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood , Mark Serwotka, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Nicola Field , one of the original LGSM activists as featured in the film Pride. There will also be speeches from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) and Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter, Stand.Up to Racism and others.The lineup is subject to change deending on circumstances.
The main theme of the day will be the damaging effects of Universal Credit and poverty in Britain. Organisers also believe that the Conservatives have used racism and division as a smokescreen for cutting services and cutting back the state. Nimisha Trivedi from Stand Up to Racism Wales who will be speaking at the rally said; "Racism was invented to justify slavery. Today it is used to take our attention away from the people who have given us austerity. To fight austerity we need to fight racism and to fight racism we need to fight austerity. Let’s turn out in big numbers. Unite and fight."
 Philippa Thomson; Labour Party Candidate for Preseli Pembrokeshire will be speaking on the platform and said; " I hope people from across Pembrokeshire will come and support the rally. It's unbelievable in this day and age that so many people in our country are living in poverty, including people in work. Here in Pembrokeshire our local charities are doing an amazing job to help struggling families, but what would really help would be for the Tory Government to stop their failed Universal Credit roll-out "
Ellen Clifford from Disabled People Against Cuts, has sent the following statement : "
"Austerity and so-called welfare reform have disproportionately impacted on the most disadvantaged members of society including disabled people. In 2016 the United Nations concluded that the threshold of evidence for grave and systematic violations of disabled people's rights due to welfare reform had been met. This is not an accident but the product of a deliberate ideological agenda to reshape the welfare state, and to punish and demonise those who are reliant on out of work and disability benefits. There is overwhelming evidence of the direct harm caused by removing essential support through benefit assessments that are not fit for purpose and the cruel and perverse conditionality and sanctions regime. The roll out of Universal Credit threatens yet more misery and destitution of an as yet unseen scale. We need to end this now which is why DPAC supports the Britain is Broken initiative and we encourage all those that can to get involved."
 UNISON Pembrokeshire County Branch will also be officially supporting the rally and encouraging their members to turn out in large numbers, other local union branches are expected to follow. Pembrokeshire Green Party; also supporting have donated £200 towards the costs of the day.
 A comedy gig, Stand Up Against Racism and Austerity, will take place in the evening in the Merlin Theatre at 6pm. Mark Serwotka will host the evening which will feature stand up comedy from the brilliant and hilarious Wil Hodgson & local comedian poet Clare Ferguson-Walker as well as Trevor J Williams and Liam Schewitz from South Wales. There will also be music from Pat Bollard the well known busking band who gained fame with their song 'Millionaires'. Union of Love - Street Performance group - will also be bringing street performance to the theatre with a moving performance on poverty in Britain.Tickets for the gig may be purchased here

As Tory austerity continues to destroy people's lives I stand  with the Britain is broken rally and I hope to see you there. The Tories are causing suffering on an unimaginable scale. Please will you support this important event, help us take down the Tories in Pembrokeshire and make West Wales a Tory free zone! Together in unity we can be a powerful movement against austerity, for the many not the few.