Speakers at an event held in Liverpool city centre tonight (Saturday) blasted both the Tory party and the Labour leadership over what was described as their failure to protect "struggling" working people.
Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch was the main draw to the rally, called the "The Working Class Strike Back", which was held as part of The World Transformed festival of radical politics. The event was not affiliated in any way with the Labour party conference which is getting under way in Liverpool.
The event at the Black-E was compered by Labour MP and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who was joined by speakers including John Lynch, who is leading the current Liverpool dock workers' strike, and Zarah Sultana MP.
READ MORE : Sir Keir Starmer arrives in Liverpool for Labour Party Conference
But the biggest cheers were reserved for Mick Lynch, who in a fiery 13-minute speech said: "The working class is back. We need to be in the community with the people who are struggling.
"We have to tell the Labour party to put your shoulder to our wheel. If you do that, we'll support you. If you can't, Keir Starmer needs to get out of the way and let in somebody else who can."
Mr Lynch added: "This is the most militant right-wing government most of us are going to experience. I just wish the people that are meant to be representing us were as bold and radical as this lot have shown themselves to be in the last two or three days.
"If Starmer can't understand that, he needs to wake up and get another job."
Mick Lynch has risen to public prominence as a result of a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions between the RMT union and Network Rail, which has led to a series of strikes which have brought large parts of the railway network to a halt. The dispute is still no nearer resolution and more strike days are planned for Saturday, October 1 and the following Saturday (Oct 8).
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