TODAY’S demonstration could be an important moment in the fightback against austerity.

The government is weak and divided and a big turnout could trigger a crisis it will find it difficult to recover from.

For many people, George Osborne’s ill-fated Budget was a lightbulb moment.

It suddenly became very clear that despite the well-worn Tory mantra that “we are all in this together,” this was far from the case.

Listening to him say with pride from the despatch box that Britain was leading the way with a corporation tax cut to an all-time low of 17 per cent was too much for many people to take when it was being paid for by cutting £4 billion in support for disabled people.

This is the essence of austerity. It is the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in living memory and nothing exposed this more than the Panama Papers revelations where the super-rich have been caught out hiding their wealth in tax havens on an industrial scale and avoiding paying the tax which would pay for all the social benefits that are coming under attack from this Tory government.

This is a government that is weak and divided. It seems a long time since the Budget, which unravelled spectacularly before the ink was dried, such has been the pace of developments.

Cracks started showing with the resignation of the hated Iain Duncan Smith, architect of the welfare reforms that were the heart of the Tory austerity programme.

We are under no illusions that he suddenly developed a conscience. This is the man who celebrated in the Commons by fist-pumping as the Chancellor announced savage cuts.

But the removal of a senior Tory frontbencher such as IDS is hugely significant and indicates a deeply divided and weakened government.

Their mishandling of the Tata steel crisis could see thousands of jobs thrown on the scrapheap due to Tory indifference.

The fact that the Business Secretary thought it was appropriate to fly out to Australia while Tata announced it was selling the Port Talbot plant tells you all you need to know about the Tories’ attitude toward the industry.

While families and communities were reeling from the impact of the decision, the Tories, despite saying all options were on the table, ruled out the one that would have saved the plant — nationalisation.

Jobs and communities are being sacrificed at the altar of Tory ideology. Steelworkers and their families will be joining teachers and junior doctors in leading the march.

Junior doctors are currently engaged in what is possibly the most important industrial dispute in a generation.

Their fight is not only against the imposition of a contract that is unsafe and unfair, but is for the future of the NHS which is being brought to its knees by the Tory government.

It is facing the biggest financial crisis in its history. Hospitals are seeing wards and services, including A&E departments, closing, whole swathes of the NHS are being privatised and nine out of 10 hospitals are reporting a shortage of nurses. In the midst of the staffing crisis, the Tories are cutting the NHS bursary denying access to those who wish to train and work in our NHS which will exacerbate an already dire situation.

The demonstration is also saying “Cameron Must Go — Tories Out.”

If Cameron were forced to resign it would send shockwaves around the political Establishment. It would be the first time since Thatcher was toppled over the poll tax that a mass movement had brought down a prime minister.

People suggest that we shouldn’t call for him to quit as he would be replaced by Boris Johnson, Osborne or possibly Theresa May, which could be far worse.

But the point is that if he was forced out of office it would severely weaken an already divided government which would find it difficult to continue to govern with the lack of confidence of the public.

While some say that Thatcher’s successor John Major won the following election in 1992, there is one fundamental difference.

The leader of the Labour Party then was the hapless Neil Kinnock, while now the party is led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Having a party leader who opposes austerity, is a proud trade unionist and espouses socialism means that there is a clear dividing line between Labour and the Tories, who represent the rich and wealthy.

Following today’s demonstration we need to strengthen our links across the movement. The starting point is to support the junior doctors in their dispute and their march in London on April 26, held jointly with teachers who are also facing attacks from the government with Nicky Morgan’s white paper which plans to force all schools to become academies.

The People’s Assembly recently published a letter signed by over 100 councillors from Labour and the Green Party opposing austerity which is seeing local authorities facing savage funding cuts from the Tory government.

A Councillors Against Austerity conference will be held to discuss and plan a national strategy to fight the Tories and oppose their cuts.

We will continue to build and strengthen our local People’s Assembly groups. If there is not one near you and you want to set one up contact us in the office and we can support you with this.

We’re now seeing the potential for big unrest across the country and it won’t be long until this government faces a movement for change that it can’t control.

Hopefully today will see the start of that process and drive Cameron and the Tories out of office.

• Sam Fairbairn is national secretary of the People’s Assembly Against Austerity. For more information about the People’s Assembly visit www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk.