Thousands of demonstrators marched on Parliament Square demanding the government take action to help Brits survive the worst cost of living crisis in more than 40 years.
Thousands turned out for the We Demand Better march which started at Portland Place in central London this morning before setting off at midday.
Protesters travelled to the capital from around the UK, with hundreds of coaches booked to transport them. One said today’s march "seems to go on for miles".
Banners reading "cut war not welfare" and "end fuel poverty, insulate homes now" were carried by some taking part in the march.
Saleyha Ahsan, an NHS doctor and representative from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, criticised the Government for not yet setting up an inquiry into the pandemic as she spoke to the crowds gathered at Parliament Square.
She also took aim the Government's overall response, including the Partygate revelations, saying the social gatherings in Downing Street happened at the same time her father was ill in hospital.
She said: “If they truly cared, if it really mattered to them, about learning these essential lessons to save lives, the inquiry would have started already.
“Why are they stalling? What else are they hiding?”
“They threw up from too much booze, the rest of us prayed for our loved ones fighting to live, fighting to breathe,” she added.
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, was met with applause and cheers as she gave a speech to the crowd in Parliament Square.
She said: “I have seen the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has threatened rail workers that they will strike themselves out of a job.
“Well you are wrong Mr Shapps: if you keep stirring, come the next election, you will be out of a job.”
Ms O’Grady added: “Let me say this to Boris Johnson, don’t you dare shift the blame for inflation onto working people.
“Don’t you dare, not after a decade of austerity, privatisation and pay cuts. Don’t you dare tell working families we have to put up with more pain.
“What about bankers’ bonuses? What about the boardroom raking it in? What about corporate profits? It is time to raise taxes on wealth not workers.”
People in the crowd whistled, cheered and clapped as a blue flare was set off to mark the beginning of the march. Others could be heard chanting "refugees are welcome here".
Loud music, including the songs 9 To 5, I Need A Dollar and Money, Money, Money were played through large speakers, with those gathered singing and dancing along.
Also providing musical accompaniment was the Fire Brigades Union, which sent a band including bagpipers to join the march.
A delegation from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) carried a banner saying "defend rail".
RMT has come under fire from the Tories as it was confirmed this morning that 40,000 union members will be walking off the job next week in what's expected to be the biggest rail strike in modern history.
Tube and rail workers are striking for better pay and conditions after discussions with Network Rail, train operators and London Underground broke down.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch also addressed and thanked the crowds and said "we are in a class struggle now".
Jabbing his finger towards the people, he said: "If your conditions are being attacked, if your pay is being attacked, if your jobs are being stripped from you, you are in a class struggle.
"And there are people over there, in that Parliament, who are meant to be on our side and have got to answer the question: which side are you on? Are you going to be with us?"
Parents brought their young children, with one young girl waving a sign that read: "Boris is a bad man".
Teacher Nowrujee, 34, brought her three-year-old to the protest. She said: "It's a no-brainer to be here today. We want more. It's going to get worse and there's no political consensus about what to do and the Labour party are weak. We care about people who are struggling."
Crowds blew whistles and let off smoke guns as they marched, with chants including "the system's broken, time to fight, workers of the world unite".
Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, told crowds: "This is about saying to Government, we demand better. They do not understand us because they are not like us."
TV and radio historian Dr Louise Raw believed some 40,000 protesters were in the capital.
She tweeted: "Been here about one hour 15 minutes and marchers are STILL coming into the Square - the back of the procession is nowhere near here yet! This is the biggest #TUC march in decades."
Ben Robinson, 25, who works for a housing charity in Brixton, south London, and Frankie Brown, 24, a teacher, are both at the protest.
Ms Brown said: “Every day I have got kids in my class who are going home to homes where they don’t have enough to eat.”
Mr Robinson said: “We’ve got residents who are coming into our offices, who are choosing between feeding their own kids, not themselves, their own kids, and paying rent and heating, and that is just not a choice that anyone should have to face, you know, in the fourth biggest economy in the world.”
He added: “I don’t think there’s enough recognition in the Government, actually how bad things are going to be and really are for people, real people who don’t have enough money.
“And the growing disparity between the very richest in society and the other 99% of people who just don’t have enough to get by, so hopefully this outlines that, but who knows?”
Protesters have also used today's march to criticise the controversial Police and Crime Bill, which they fear could limit such demonstrations in future.
Mr Robinson called the Bill “draconian”, and said he hoped people would still come out to protest if it becomes law.
He told the PA news agency: “The fear for me is that these things aren’t going to be happening as often with the new Police and Crime Bill coming in, so I think it’s important to get out now while we’re allowed to.
“Obviously, I think people should still protest regardless of that draconian Bill, but to see this (turnout) today is amazing.”
Demonstrations are also being held in Ireland today, with marches organised by the Cost of Living Coalition taking place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Sligo.
Signs and banners at the London event reading "Nurses not nukes", "Don't get angry, get active" and "Free Assange" could be seen.
Speaking to Sky News at the protest, care worker Patricia said: "It's been very difficult.
"You have to juggle two jobs. I'm a lecturer, I have to look after my daughter who has got mental health issues. It is hard. We demand better pay."
While an A&E nurse took to Twitter to explain how she couldn't afford to make the march. @Nurseborisbash wrote: "I've worked in emergency nursing for 30 years.
"During that time, I've forgotten how many hearts I've restarted, how many hands I've held as diagnosis is given, yet as a widowed single parent I can't afford the train fare to join the march."
Labour MPs and local politicians have also taken to the streets, including Diane Abbott and deputy leader Angela Rayner.
Labour MP for Cynon Valley in Wales Beth Winter is at the rally and tweeted her support. She wrote: "Taking the amazing new @RCTTUC banner for a spin while we wait for the demonstration to begin!"
Crawley borough Labour councillor Kiran Khan took a snap of herself at the march and posted it on Twitter where she wrote that "enough is enough".
"As we march in London today, Britain can not take much more of this," she wrote. "As we march in London today, we must demand a better deal for the working class and we will demand better."
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was pictured alongside the general secretary of Unison Christina McAnea and Labour MP for Newcastle Chi Onwurah, holding a placard with the words "marching for a better future".
The march culminated with a rally at Parliament Square which includes speakers such as Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, which organised the event.
The TUC says its research suggests workers have lost almost £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation.
The UK has been facing the worst cost of living crisis in over 40 years as inflation rockets and wages decline.
In April, inflation hit a high of 9% and at the same time the energy price cap increased by 54%, water bills rose by an average of 1.7% and National Insurance rose by 1.25%.
The prices of food are also rising, with Which? revealing last month that grocery inflation was 3.14% on average, but some of the most popular supermarket foods had seen a price hike of over 20%.
The rising costs have had devastating impacts, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has forecasted that more than 250,000 households could fall into destitution by next year and 1.5 million households will struggle to pay for food and energy.
