Labour conference backs Fourth Option and more tenants vote No to privatisation » Communities » 24dash.com

Labour’s conference voted 2:1 – for the third consecutive year running – for a ‘level playing field’ to provide direct investment in council housing as an alternative to privatisation.

Today, Tower Hamlets council announced that they lost another four ballots with tenants voting No to their homes being sold off.

44 other local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are due to ballot their tenants in the coming months (list attached).

Austin Mitchell MP, chair of the House of Commons Council Housing group, said today (full statement attached):

“The National Executive Committee was obliged at the last minute to rush in its own statement to conference in a vain attempt to see off this third embarrassing defeat on the issue. It didn’t work but the NEC statement now pledges that the sub-group set up by the National Policy Forum would be addressing the issues:

“We recognise the decisions conference has taken on the issue of social housing in 2004 and 2005… We believe that bringing all social housing up to decent standards is central to Labour’s Sustainable Communities agenda… In particular the group is exploring ways of creating a level playing field in the funding for social housing; between those with ALMOs or Housing Associations, and those without…we await its conclusions early next year”

This is a postponement of earlier hopes that it would report before this conference but not one that’s too late for the next spending review.”

The Labour conference vote – despite attempts by Ministers and the NEC to get the motion withdrawn – shows that government cannot turn its back on 3 million council tenants – and the 1.5 million on council housing waiting lists. An unprecedented alliance of tenants, trade unions, councillors and MPs is demanding a new ‘Fourth Option’ to enable local authorities to improve all existing council homes and estates as well as start a programme of building a new generation of first council homes.

Alan Walter, chair of Defend Council Housing commented:

“The vote at Labour conference shows how politically isolated Ministers are and the vote by four more areas in Tower Hamlets, following on from the growing number of No votes in other parts of the country shows that tenants are wising up to the government’s spin and aren’t prepared to be bullied and blackmailed to accept privatisation.

We want direct investment; we want to keep our secure tenancies, lower rents and the right to elect our landlord.

Ministers who say they are listening now have to acknowledge that they’ve lost the argument, lost support in their own conference and on the estates and that government policy has to change.

Further information from Alan Walter (07802 176 639) or Austin Mitchell MP

Website www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/

ENDS

Press release issued: September 29, 2006