A POLITICAL party will hold a protest in Carlisle this morning, following a "well-received" protest held last week in Workington.

The Cumbria branch of the Socialist Party will be protesting NHS pay and conditions from 11am in Carlisle city centre this morning.

The party is calling a "substantial" pay rise for NHS staff, and is also calling for an expansion of medical and nursing student places, alongside the end to student fees, in order to tackle the current staffing shortfall seen across the NHS nationally.

The Socialist Party also held a protest last Saturday in Workington town centre, which a spokesman for the Cumbria branch said was well-received, with people "queuing up" to sign their petition calling for an immediate 10 per cent pay rise, and a "well-earned rest."

"We now need the resources to rebuild the NHS, with a budget of at least 11% of national income like other European countries. PFI contracts should be torn up, privatisation and outsourcing ended and the NHS renationalised," the spokesman said.

"Many people took our leaflets explaining these points in detail, to share with family and friends and in their workplaces."

The party's campaign is titled "Rebuild The NHS.