Cost of living demo outside Blackpool Tory conference venue

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said it expected thousands of people from across the UK to join the protest in Blackpool on March 19, under the slogan: “Britain needs a pay rise.”Demands include a pay rise for workers, decent sick pay and an end to zero-hours contracts.TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady and other union leaders will be among speakers at a march and rally outside the £28m conference centre within the Winter Gardens.The last time a national party conference was held in Blackpool was in 2007, when the Conservatives gathered for their main October conference in the town.The £28m state-of-the-art Winter Gardens conference and exhibition centre opened its doors last month, four years on from the start of preparation work. It’s now the largest venue of its kind in the north.