Tradespeople have descended on Parliament Square – with one group even bringing a tank to protest against tool thefts.
The action – which is taking place in the heart of Westminster today – is demanding that Labour do more to protect tradespeople’s livelihoods and fight against tool theft.
Arranged by Trades United and helped by On The Tools, a fleet of vans will travel from north London shopping centre Brent Cross to Parliament, hoping to cause chaos amongst commuters and tourists alike.
The protesters have even gone so far as to bring a tank along to Westminster to block vehicles down parts of the busy square, causing a commotion as they shout and honk their horns to make their points to MPs.
One protestor was spotted in front of a tank at Monday’s demonstration
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Kent roofer Dennis Richardson who attended the demonstration spoke of how he had £3,000 worth of tools stolen in the same time he went to buy a coffee.
Now, the Maidstone man is keen to pressure the Government into handing out tougher punishments for thieves.
“We were out of sight for a couple of minutes at a coffee shop. I’ve got a family, and we’ve got to eat, we’ve got to pay bills. To suddenly have to find £3,000 is not easy,” he told the BBC.
He explained that he avoids parts of London after the robbery in Dulwich, south east London, which has restricted the jobs he wants to take.
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Sussex plumber Paul Saunderson-Barker attended the demonstration, recounting how he was “devastated” when his van was broken into – and tools worth more than £6,000 were stolen.
“They stole power tools and a thermal imaging camera. I had over £6,000 of equipment stolen,” he explained to the BBC.
He added that other traders had “rallied” around him to offer their support.
Lee Wilcox, CEO of On The Tools, emphasised the urgency of the situation, saying: “Tool theft is a crisis that affects not only tradespeoples’ livelihoods but also their mental health and family stability.
“It’s an epidemic we can no longer ignore. On The Tools is proud to support this rally and provide practical ways for people to amplify their voices.
One van featured the message ‘thieves don’t fear the law’
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“Change is long overdue, and it’s time for the government to act decisively”.
Campaign group On The Tools has reported that, on average, 85 per cent of tradespeople worry everyday or weekly about the threat of thieves.
They have explained that workers within the industry do not feel that enough has been done to tackle the issue by politicians.
Trades United founder Shoaib Awan emphasised that tradespeople and their livelihoods must be protected, saying: “We need the government to come forward and support and protect hard-working tradespeople and their livelihoods by implementing the law which this country has in place when it comes to theft.”
