Haringey protests against HDV - but Labour fails to kill it off completely

Protesters in Haringey marching against the HDV, photo North London SP (Click to enlarge)

Hundreds of Haringey residents marched to protest outside a council meeting on 7 February called to discuss the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) - a Blairite £2 billion privatisation of social housing, which would lead to the demolition and 'regeneration' of housing estates.

Speakers at the demonstration included Socialist Party members Nancy Taaffe, on the campaign to stop a similar project by neighbouring Labour council Waltham Forest, and Paul Kershaw, secretary of the Unite housing workers' union branch.

Postponed

The council meeting had been triggered by the Lib Dems, who had cynically moved a resolution calling for the cancellation of HDV, trying to make electoral gains from the crimes of the Blairites.

Unfortunately, despite a campaign by the left leading to Labour selecting a majority of anti-HDV candidates to contest May's elections, the Labour group agreed a 'compromise' resolution in a vain attempt to try and keep a façade of unity with council leader Clare Kober and the rest of the Blairites. This means that a resolution was passed postponing any decision on HDV until after May's local elections. HDV is therefore on the critical list but not quite yet dead!

Meanwhile Claire Kober has launched a frenzied attack on the opponents of HDV and the left Labour leadership.

It is clearly not possible to compromise with her and her ilk - they are pro-capitalist, pro-privatisation politicians who are fundamentally opposed to any moves towards Haringey becoming an anti-austerity, socialist council.

On the demonstration outside the council meeting Socialist Party members were declaring 'now for a no-cuts council'. This demand got a very enthusiastic response. Scrapping HDV is a vital first step but it is necessary to go further and refuse to implement any more Tory cuts.

For more, see:

Haringey: No fudge with the right wing

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