Manchester is among 28 cities hosting protests organised by the Enough is Enough campaign to fight back against the sharpest drop in living standards in recent history.
Thousands are expected to the rally at Piccadilly Gardens from noon as part of the National Day of Action.
It’s part of a wider campaign, Enough is Enough, which was launched in August in a bid to address the rising inequalities created by wage stagnation and the cost-of-living crisis.
It has called for a real pay rise, a cut to energy bills, the end to food poverty, decent homes for all and more effective taxes for the rich.
Tomorrow’s demonstrations across the country will be supported by a diverse range of backers, from trade unions including RMT and CWU, to MPs such as Ian Byrne and Zarah Sultana.
It comes just a month after the Manchester launch of Enough is Enough which drew a crowd of more than 1,000 inside Manchester Cathedral, and twice as many rallying outside.
Since then, the campaign has grown to more than 500,000 members and organisers say there is no signs of losing momentum as a winter of high inflation, soaring food prices and energy bills threaten to drive ever larger numbers of people into poverty.
Andy Burnham is one of the social movement’s most prominent supporters.
Speaking to Channel 4 on the eve of the launch, the Greater Manchester Mayor said: “We are in dire times here. People are scared – they don’t know how they are going to get through (this winter).”
Mr Burnham, who last month took the buses of the city into public ownership to make the service more affordable, added: “Enough is enough. We’ve put up with too much inequality for too long. We need real change.”
