Mum whose friend died after benefits struggle in powerful message to Tories

01 October 2023 , 14:50

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Mum whose friend died after benefits struggle in powerful message to Tories

A woman whose friend took her own life after being driven to desperation by the benefits system hit out as Tories gathered for their annual conference.

Helen Lomas, 40, was one of thousands of protesters who rallied against Conservative failures outside the Manchester Central Convention Complex, where top Tories were assembled. She carried a heartbreaking placard saying "Poverty Kills" following the death of pal Karen McBride.

An inquest into the mum-of-four's death heard she had been let down by "systematic" failings in the housing and benefits system. Her family said she was wrongly pursued over benefit debt while living in squalid conditions in Tameside, Greater Manchester. Helen told The Mirror: "I'm marching for my kids and my friend who committed suicide last year because of the benefit system. They ground her down, they broke her and she's not here to march with me."

Helen Lomas held a banner in memory of her friend Karen McBride, who died last year

Looking at the sea of demonstrators chanting "Tories out", she said: "This is reassuring, this is hope right here." Demonstrators also told The Mirror the Tory assault on public services, the treatment of refugees and Rishi Sunak's green policy rollback had brought them out on the streets.

Huge crowds marched through the city centre and descended on the conference centre. Fiona McCleary, 24, said she was horrified by comments by Suella Braverman about migrants, stating: "She's using language straight from the fascist playbook, she's doing it intentionally - she's whipping up racism to divide us."

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Huge crowds filled the streets of Manchester to protest outside the Tory Conference (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)

Craig Farlow, 54, who made his way to the demonstration from County Durham, said: "I work with people who are using foodbanks, I think the big issue is getting people to connect the dots. The big issue in this country is the people who are having their conference in there, that's the common denominator with what's going wrong."

Nahella Ashraf, who chairs Greater Manchester's Stand up to Racism group, said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting that the government are using racism to distract from what they're doing. It's really important to send a message to the Tories that we're opposing them."

Campaigners from Portland, Dorset, shared their anger about the Bibby Stockholm barge (Campaigners from Portland, Dorset, shared their anger about the Bibby Stockholm barge)

And Amira Taha, who heads the North West Black Members' committee at Unison, said: "They're trying to convince people that refugees are the problem."

Meanwhile several demonstrators had made their way up from Portland in Dorset, where the Government's Bibby Stockholm mega-barge for asylum seekers is sitting empty.

Fiona McCleary hit out at Suella Braverman's asylum remarks (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)

Two of the group, Anoop and Anuika, said they were appalled at the treatment of those forced to move onto the vessel, where Legionella bacteria was discovered in August.

"The Tories have neglected Weymouth and Portland for so long, they closed the hospital, we're desperate for housing. They did it deliberately because they thought we'd turn against refugees", said Anuika. And Anoop said: "This is about standing up the Government. We want people to be treated as human beings and not as prisoners."

Amira Taha, who heads the North West Black Members' committee at Unison, said: "They're trying to convince people that refugees are the problem."

Craig Farlow said the Tories are to blame for the UK's woes (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)

And Pauline Lozoya-Hocking was part of a group who travelled from across the North West furious at a wave of failures including the Government's green rollback. "We'll be dancing to Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees because there's a struggle for all of our survival due to climate change."

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Dave Burke