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Why Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival 2023 is so important
The rich cannot be allowed to dictate the terms of our impoverishment — the Martyrs stood up against injustice and so must we, writes Prison Officers’ Association general secretary STEVE GILLAN
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SINCE the 1930s there has been an annual gathering to mark the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs with wreaths laid on the grave of James Hammett followed by a procession of banners and speeches.

The struggle of the Martyrs must never be forgotten — otherwise their struggle will be in vain.

In 2023 many families are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis that wasn’t of their making. The explosion of gas and electricity prices wasn’t just a result of the Ukraine crisis nor was food inflation either, as these prices were rising well before the conflict. I recognise that the invasion of Ukraine has not helped but it is all too easy to blame that and the pandemic.

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