THERE has been an explosion of local People’s Assembly groups amid the raging battle against the Tories’ rapid-fire onslaught on the social fabric of society, the anti-cuts campaign revealed yesterday.

Thirty-two new groups have been formed — from the Orkney Islands to the Isle of Wight — since hundreds of thousands took to the streets in June over the Chancellor’s class war Budget.

One of the newest People’s Assembly clusters is in south-east Cornwall.

Organiser Leah Browning, a mother of two children under four, said first-hand experience of financial hardship spurred her to action in the Tory-dominated region.

She said: “I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

“After the massive downer of the Conservatives’ victory the day after polling day, I just thought we have to do this. This is a pocket of hope for us.”

Cornwall has a high number of second homes owned by wealthy holiday-makers and many people — especially those with disabilities and poor mental health — feel extremely isolated by their rural surroundings, she told the Star.

Ten people turned up to the first meeting in a member’s home last month but at least double are expected at the next assembly tomorrow.

The growth of the People’s Assembly movement immediately before and after last month’s huge anti-austerity protests in London and Glasgow is “really exciting,” said spokesman Tom Griffiths.

“It feels like the anti-austerity movement is snowballing. We’re very busy right now but morale is really high.”

The campaign will organise five days of protest during the Conservative Party conference in Manchester in October.