"Politics needs to catch up with what's happening in our communities really quickly," explained Ian Byrne.
The West Derby MP spoke to the ECHO from a secluded corridor in St George's Hall at the start of September. Just metres away you heard the roar of hundreds of people gathered for the first rally of the Enough is Enough movement in Liverpool.
The fast-moving campaign had been announced just weeks before after launching its mission statement at a rally in Clapham, London. The group, which gained a following of 500,000 people in less than a month, said it was determined to "push back against the misery forced on millions".
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The grassroots campaign demanded "fair pay, affordable bills, enough to eat and a decent place to live" amid the troubling rise in energy and food costs. Headed up by Mr Byrne and Coventry South's Zarah Sultana; it was also supported by various trade union and community activist groups.
Enough is Enough coincided with the national success of unions including Communication Workers' Union and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. On a number of occasions this year workers have shut down the transport and communication networks in a bid to improve pay and working conditions amid the troubling rise in energy and food costs.
Speaking to the ECHO wearing a black t-shirt instead of his usual parliamentary suit and red tie, Mr Byrne said the campaign, first planned at the start of the year, was pushing for "basic demands that we should have in a fair society. "
He said: "The campaign has captured the public mood.
"What we're seeing now is no one is free from the grip of poverty. Everyone now is feeling it. We're seeing the professional people using foodbanks, otherwise they can't afford to pay their bills - it's heartbreaking. The message to the government is quite simple. It's frightening at the moment and the message we're getting from the government is nowhere near enough."
Ms Sultana, sporting a red suit and explaining her family connection to Liverpool, said: "12 years of Tory austerity has resulted in a huge shift of wealth and power to a small group of people". Everyone speaking at the rally is roared on by a partisan crowd.
The loudest cheers of the night are saved for UFC star Molly McCann who passionately lends support to the movement and Liverpool's long history of supporting workers. She told the ECHO before heading to the stage: "Being from Liverpool you always back a strike, never cross a picket line and always stand up to be counted.
"I believe now is the time to help as I have the platform to unite, cross generations and get the message out there. People need a voice in times of anguish like this. It's really powerful and special to be here. The message to the government is enough is enough. We can't have the cost of living continue to rise while wages stay the same. The people can't keep this country going if they aren't being paid enough to survive.
"The government can't empathise with the message but as long as people keep holding them to account we'll get them out. It's a slow process but we need to keep the momentum going."
A month later the movement gathered in Liverpool again, this time as part of a national day of action that saw 170,000 people gather in 50 locations around the country. Local workers backing the campaign explain how their cries for help as inflation reaches record highs "fall on deaf ears".
Carmel O'Boyle, a nurse and branch chair of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for Greater Liverpool and Knowsley, said: "Poverty affects us all". She added: "The cost of living crisis is having a detrimental affect on healthcare workers and patients alike. Hearing people in hardship is heartbreaking.
"While we live in one of the richest countries in the world, we have people using food banks to survive. 'Heat or eat' is a phrase I never thought I would hear, but my patients and colleagues are facing the same fears. Enough is enough, we need change now, for the good of all before people are dying of poverty this winter." Just weeks after the second rally, the RCN unprecedently walked out on strike in a dispute over patient safety and pay.
People supporting the campaign all expressed concerns regarding the cost of living crisis and how it is affecting the most vulnerable. Spokespeople for Enough is Enough said the campaign's focus has recently shifted to bringing foodbanks, clothes banks and trade unions together throughout the winter months to support the vulnerable.
The movement's campaign message said: "We can't rely on the establishment to solve our problems. It's up to us in every workplace and every community." The words of the movement seemingly rang true for many, as one person wearing an RMT t-shirt told the ECHO back in September: "This is the year the working class fight back."
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