Brent residents must stand together if they hope to succeed in their fight against the council’s cuts.

This was the message from Owen Jones, the outspoken commentator and author of books Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class, and The Establishment and How They Get Away With It, speaking at an event hosted by Brent Fightback at Harlesden’s Tavistock Hall, in Harlesden High Street, on Tuesday night.

He said: “I travel all over the country going to see as many people as I can to support them in their fight for justice. I particularly like the self made group Brent Fightback and I’ve come here to lend my support and lend my solidarity to their campaign.”

He spoke to the crowd on a range of subjects relevant to their lives including zero hour contracts, benefit sanctions, housing and the billions spent in subsidies to private landlords, the living wage, tax avoidance and tax injustice.

He said: “If we stand together and we fight together we will win this battle together.”

Also at the event were representatives for Stonebridge Adventure Playground (SAP) on Shakespeare Avenue, Mencap, the mental health charity, the NHS and housing campaigners.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, and Dawn Butler, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate (pcc) for Brent Central attended as did Ibrahim Taguri, the Liberal Democrat pcc for Brent Central and Stephen Priestley who will stand for UKIP.

Sujata Aurora, a campaigner for Brent Fightback said: “We were really pleased so many residents turned up.

“I found it really inspiring to hear stories particularly from SAP, and Our West Hendon because these people are not political people; they are people who have been forced by these circumstances to become campaigners. The way they have fought for themselves and their communities is really inspiring.

“It was really clear from the meeting that nobody wants these cuts, nobody wants these government policies of austerity or the council cuts.”

A protest is happening outside the Libdem offices in Walm Lane and the Conservative offices in Preston Road on Saturday.

Brent Fightback will also stage a protest outside the Civic Centre in Engineers Way on March 2 ahead of the council meeting to rubberstamp the budget cuts.