Some lives matter more than others. That’s the message the political-media class sends us every day.

How else can we explain a government that pushes disabled people into poverty, allows 4.3 million children to live in deprivation, and leaves a quarter of a million people homeless? How else can we accept that two in three people worry about heating their homes, while the number of billionaires in Britain reaches record highs?

This wretched state of affairs, of course, horrifies the millions who are treated as less than fully human. It frightens and disciplines tens of millions more who are one accident, one misstep, one piece of bad luck away from disaster. And it offends the common human dignity of us all. How can we allow this systematic enrichment of the few at the expense of the many to continue?

The government claims there is no money to lift people out of poverty, yet it finds billions for war and weapons. We believe there is an alternative. If you do too, please join other prominent figures across progressive politics, the trade unions and social movements by signing the Dignity Declaration below.

Real security isn’t the ability to destroy whole regions of the world or line the pockets of arms dealers. Real security is having a roof over your head, food on your table, and a future for our children.

The government claims there is no money to lift people out of poverty, yet it finds billions for war and weapons. This isn’t about scarcity—it’s about priorities. And their priorities are clear: no money for us all, endless money for war.

Real security isn’t the ability to destroy whole regions of the world or line the pockets of arms dealers. Real security is having a roof over your head, food on your table, and a future for our children.

We were told it was a “tough” choice to cut the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners. The same excuse was used to justify keeping the two-child benefit cap, slashing disability benefits, scrapping the £2 bus fare cap, and betraying the WASPI women. Why do the tough choices always hurt ordinary people, while the richest are let off the hook?

This is set to be the first Labour government in history under which child poverty increases. Labour’s failure has paved the way for Reform. We need an alternative path.

Parroting the rhetoric of Reform UK on migrants, minorities and Muslims just endorses their scapegoating and makes society worse for us all.

The government could lift children out of poverty by scrapping the two-child benefit cap. It could reduce energy and water bills by bringing failing companies into public ownership. It could end homelessness by investing in a massive council-house-building programme.

This is set to be the first Labour government in history under which child poverty increases. Labour’s failure has paved the way for Reform. We need an alternative path.

There is an alternative path: a society where every life is valued, and dignity is guaranteed for all. There is no law of nature that says we can’t shape our world based on human need, not corporate greed.

That would start by properly taxing multinational corporations and those with assets over £10 million so we can rebuild our schools and hospitals. That means bringing in rent controls to tackle the housing emergency. That means ending the disaster of privatisation in energy, water, rail and healthcare. That means protecting our planet by standing up to fossil fuel giants and building a new green energy system. That means investing in welfare, not warfare.

Rising rents. Soaring bills. Crushing inequality. People were promised change, but their patience is running out. Our people cannot endure another round of cuts. Our NHS cannot survive more privatisation. And our economy cannot thrive when millions are trapped in poverty.

The people of this country have the power to turn things around. We are the ones who create the wealth—let’s invest it in a future that respects our planet, nurtures hope in our children, and guarantees dignity for all.

Shockat Adam MP (Leicester South)

Cllr Shoab Akhtar (Oldham)

Cllr Ammar Anwar (Independent Kirklees Council)

Cllr Ali Arshad (Leader, Kirklees Community Independents)

Eric Barnes (Chair, Social Justice Project)

Apsana Begum MP (Poplar and Limehouse)

Amanda Bentham (NEU member)

Sian Berry MP (Brighton Pavilion)

Cllr Mark Blake (Haringey)

Grace Blakeley (Economist & author)

Sophie Bolt (General Secretary, CND)

Ellie Chowns MP (North Herefordshire)

Cllr Lotte Collett (Leader, Haringey Independent Socialist Group)

Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North)

Cllr Hanifa Darwan (Dewsbury South Ward)

Cllr Karl Denning (Dudley MBC)

Cllr Emma Dent Coad (Kensington)

Carla Denyer MP (Co-Leader, Green Party)

Cllr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini (Oxford Community Independents)

Jamie Driscoll (Former North of Tyne Mayor)

Andrea Egan (Former President, UNISON)

Clare Farrell (Co-Founder, Extinction Rebellion)

Hugo Fearnley (Majority)

Andrew Feinstein (Former ANC MP, author)

Lindsey German (Stop The War)

Cllr Alan Gibbons (Leader, Liverpool Community Independents)

Cllr James Giles (Leader, Kingston Independents)

Alex Gordon (Former President, RMT)

Cllr Sam Gorst (Liverpool Community Independents)

Jo Grady (General Secretary, UCU)

Ian Hodson (National President, BFAWU)

Cllr Sean Halsall (Leader, Southport Community Independents)

Cllr Luke Hamblett (Independent)

Cllr Nick Hartley (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Marnie Havard (Independent, Wales RMBC)

Liz Henton (Hackney & Islington Unite Community member)

Cllr Margaret Howard (Independent, Worthing)

Kate Hudson (Vice-President, CND)

Adnan Hussain MP (Blackburn)

Owen Jones (Author & commentator)

Cllr Musarrat Khan (Independent, Dalton)

Ayoub Khan MP (Birmingham Perry Barr)

Sarah Kilpatrick (President, NEU)

Cllr Kamala Kugan (Kingston Independents)

Cllr Jo Lawson (Kirklees Community Independents)

Ken Loach (Filmmaker)

Mikaela Loach (author)

Asa Jones (National Secretary, Social Justice Party)

Francesca Martinez (Comedian & writer)

Cllr Mary Mason (Independent Socialist Group, Haringey)

Len McCluskey (Former General Secretary, Union the Union)

Cllr Jane McCoid (Independent, Gateshead)

James Meadway (Economist & author)

Leanne Mohamed (British Palestinian Activist)

Iqbal Mohamed MP (Dewsbury & Batley)

Theresa Norton (Social Justice Party)

Maxine Peake (Actress)

Tony Pierre (Unite Community)

Cllr Habib Rahman (Independent, Newcastle upon Tyne)

Lutfur Rahman (Mayor, Tower Hamlets)

Mish Rahman (Former Labour NEC member)

Adrian Ramsay MP (Co-Leader, Green Party)

Cllr Tony Randerson (Social Justice Party)

Asad Rehman (Executive Director, War on Want)

Michael Rosen (Author)

Cllr Taj Salam (Bradford Independent Group)

James Schneider (Author & organiser)

Anthony Slaughter (Leader, Wales Green Party)

James Steen (Head of London Region, British Medical Association)

Juliet Stevenson (Actor)

Lamin Touray (Actor & activist)

Jon Trickett MP (Normanton and Hemsworth)

Cllr Claudia Turbet-Delof (Hackney)

Dr Penny Vera-Sanso (Emerita Reader, Birbeck, University of London)

Cllr Holly Waddell (Independent)

Cllr Abdul Wahid (Tower Hamlets)

David Ward (Independent, Bradford MDC)

Beth Winter (Former Member of Parliament, Cynon Valley)

Leanne Wood (Former Leader, Plaid Cymru)

Sarah Wooley (General Secretary, BFAWU)

Cllr Penny Wrout (Hackney Independent Socialists)

Salma Yaqoob (Patron, Stop the War Coalition)

Cllr Taiba Yasseen (Independent, Rotherham)

Shalini (Visiting Fellow, LSE)
Zarah Sultana MP (Coventry South)
Nadia Whittome MP (Nottingham East)

Do you agree? Add your name:

By signing this statement, you will be added to the Peace & Justice Project's mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time using the links in the email and you can view their privacy policy here.