It has been 90 years since the poverty-stricken working classes of Birkenhead rose up in violent protest against harsh Government cuts that saw thousands of people struggling to make ends meet.
The Birkenhead riots of September 1932 saw the worst street violence in the ferry port since the Garibaldi riots 70 years before, when poor Irish Catholics clashed with police following an argument with opposing Protestants.
Up to 18,000 people rallied outside the public assistance offices to protest the introduction of the much-despised means test, which saw unemployment benefits slashed, leaving many struggling to put food on the table as they turned to selling their furniture for extra income.
