The crowd reflected in his glasses - Jeremy Corbyn about to speak to protesters opposite Downing Street.

Jeremy Corbyn, addressing protesters reminded them of the cruelty of austerity resulting in hunger and death in a country which was the fifth richest in the world.

"We are in a crisis," Corbyn declared, "and we are in a crisis which is of human making and not of a natural occurrence. At this very moment people are faced with a massive rise in their fuel bills.... At the same time every one of those energy companies is posting record and massive profits. At the same time there are many people speculating on the futures (markets) on gas and on other forms of energy production as well."

"Surely the answer to this is not to offer a tiny amelioration of the massive price rise that people are facing. It's to recognise that fuel poverty means hunger. Fuel poverty means death. Fuel poverty means older people dying in freezing cold places because they can't afford to heat them. And this in the fifth richest country in the world!"

On the 2 April 2022, the second of two large demonstrations to be held in London this year took place - protesters were highlighting the government's complicity in the rise in the cost of living and increasing levels of inequality and poverty. It was organised by the anti-austerity organisation People's Assembly and trade unions and rallies took place in several cities across the UK.

While the very rich have seen their wealth increase as a result of the government boosting equity markets through quantitative easing as well as massive subsidies to larger businesses, the majority of the population and particularly the poor have seen their living standards decline and the current increases in energy, food and other essential living costs will hit the poorest in society the hardest.

Labour MP Zarah Sultana tweeted 'The cost of living crisis is a Tory political choice: they hand bankers a £1bn-a-year tax cut while scrapping the £20-a-week universal credit uplift,' and activist Peter Tatchell similarly declared that he had 'joined today’s @pplsassembly protest against cost of living crisis, urging a #WindfallTax on energy companies. I also urged a one-off 20% #WealthTax on UK’s 171 billionaires. It would raise £120bn to fund NHS/social care.'