The head of the TUC, which has organised thousands of people to rally against the cost-of-living crisis, has warned the prime minister not to put responsibility for it on workers.
“Let me say this to Boris Johnson – don’t you dare shift the blame for inflation on to working people,” she told crowds.
“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.”
Earlier, Mr Johnson said Britain would get through the crisis and “come through on the other side strongly” as he said he sympathised with people facing pressure.
The TUC says workers have lost almost £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation.
Meanwhile, home secretary Priti Patel said the “absolutely scandalous” European court decision that effectively grounded the first flight to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda was politically motivated.
Mr Johnson said the government would press ahead with its Rwanda plan, and defended Home Office plans to electronically tag some asylum-seekers arriving in the UK.
