ABOUT 150 campaigners from Stroud will travel to London to take part in a protest against austerity on Saturday.

Full coaches are leaving from Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester for the End Austerity Now protest.

It is expected the demonstration, which was planned before the election in opposition to the commitment to austerity from the two largest parties, will see tens of thousands of people assemble outside the Bank of England.

James Beecher, of Stroud Against the Cuts, said they had organised the coaches "because short-termist economics is killing people."

“Because an economic plan that puts corporations before the health of the people that, until recent changes in the law, the state was responsible for, is sinful,” he added.

“Because lives are being been lost through this short-termist ideology.

“Because this country has seen harder times economically when, at the will of the people, the NHS was set up, social security help for those less fortunate was brought in, millions of houses were built and free education became available to all those under 16.

"In short, an increase in public spending made this country strong after the war, not the handing over of our assets to corporations or the cutting of essential services.”

SATC is also planning a public meeting on Thursday, July 2 to discuss how the group will continue to campaign against privatisation of the NHS, cuts to public services, and more.