30 Swansea residents met in Dyfatty Community Centre on Wednesday 3 April to discuss plans to resist the bedroom tax. After a series of impassioned contributions from social housing tenants, the meeting overwhelmingly voted to adopt two key demands:
- For the Labour-led council to pledge not to evict anyone for non-payment of the bedroom tax
- For the council to re-classify properties to a level where homes will not have to pay the bedroom tax.
Residents made many comparisons to the Militant-led anti-poll tax campaign, which used tactics of organised mass non-payment and collective community resistance to overturn one of the Thatcher government’s most hated and hateful policies.
Swansea trades council secretary and Socialist Party Wales member Ronnie Job led the meeting in calling for a demonstration at the next Swansea council meeting on 11 April to press the council to stand up for its residents.
