A People’s Manifesto is now targeting MPs and parliamentary candidates in the build-up to the 2015 General Election.

It was launched last month by Citizens UK, the organisation in London’s deprived East End that created the nationwide Living Wage campaign.

The manifesto calls for a community fund and a pledge to find 10,000 more people to join Credit unions to get those on low income to manage their budgets without going to payday loan companies.

It also includes calls for better social care and children’s health, more genuine affordable housing, dignity for families seeking sanctuary and jobs created for young people.

“We’ll be campaigning until next May on these issues to bring them to all candidates, to places of work, worship, education and leisure—and ultimately the polling stations,” UK Citizens’ founder Neil Jameson said.

“People have the power when organised to change the country for the better, ensuring civil society has a place at the negotiating table with the people in power.”

The manifesto calls for:

- the Financial Conduct Authority to reduce the cap on the total cost of credit, in line with most OECD countries

- local authority powers to cap number of payday lenders and betting shops

- a community fund paid for by fines levied on banks and payday lenders.

Citizens UK’s 2010 Election Assembly was dubbed in the media as the ‘Fourth Debate’ when Brown, Cameron and Clegg took to the stage at Westminster Central Hall to respond to its then-manifesto. It plans to repeat the assembly for 2015.

Co-chair Charlotte Wood said: “Issues we’ve identified such as debt, low-pay and housing will resonate with a large percentage of voters next May.

“So I hope the main party leaders return to our stage as they did in 2010 and respond to the People’s Manifesto.”

Citizens UK is now rolling out campaigns to bring the manifesto to MPs and candidates in marginal and other constituencies.

The organisation brings together local institutions such as schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, universities and trade unions to work together on issues often perceived as “too different to work together”, but form powerful alliances locally and nationally when they unite.