Into battle for grafters

Stop war spend and invest in our broken services

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As a social worker, I've been on the front lines of our public services for decades. Today, 18 months into a Labour government, things are as bad as ever for colleagues.

Not only has the value of our pay been slashed year on year as the cost of bills and basics skyrocket.

We've also been made to watch the services to which our working lives have been dedicated and which were once at the heart of our communities systematically dismantled by politicians.

I have seen the sharp end. Our local authorities have been cynically asset-stripped: £15billion sold off since 2010.

In Bolton, where I'm from, the council's funding has been slashed by more than a quarter since 2010.

These aren't just numbers in headlines. Every cut makes the lives of ordinary people worse.