Ben Edge, Northampton Socialist Party
The cost-of-living crisis is taking its toll on us all. Young people are among some of the worst affected.
As capitalism slumps further into its perennial crisis, prospects are bleak for many young workers. We face a future of insecure employment, unaffordable housing, deteriorating public services, and an education system that increasingly only the rich can access.
The situation is dire. But in Northampton, as in many towns and cities across the country, the Socialist Party is fighting back. Members and supporters are taking to the streets, holding regular Young Socialist stalls in the town centre.
Our demands are key: more jobs, decent pay, free education, and affordable housing.
The mood in this deindustrialised Midlands town is mixed. Over a decade of austerity has left many workers feeling isolated and hopeless. But the gains of the recent strike wave bring us hope.
Every Saturday, we speak to young workers. Some are students, juggling education with gig-economy jobs to get by.
Others work precarious jobs in the public sector, and have recently joined the trade union movement for the first time. We also see plenty of interest from parents and other family members, worried about the future that awaits their children and loved ones.
Slowly but surely, people’s despair at the cost of living is turning into anger at the ruling class. And for growing numbers of young workers, that anger is turning into action.
