The Socialist 1 October 2014

Pay cuts: Angry and ready to strike!

No to imperialist war

US led bombings will worsen divisions

Hong Kong: "umbrella revolution" changes everything

More brutal cuts from the imploding Tories

Labour: no real alternative

Housing - a history of class struggle

Them & Us

Pay cuts: Angry and ready to strike!

Local government pay: Reject employers' proposal

Hove Park victory: academies can be stopped

Doncaster Care UK workers start record strike

Continuing Bob Crow's legacy after RMT election

CWU's political fund and political voice

York University - Student housing letting agency victory

Round up: Socialist Students at the freshers fairs

What party should students vote for?

Support the E15 mums

Scotland is in a party joining mood

Fire and rescue... rescued

Wet books: send bucks!

Labour's housing failure

A day in the life of an agency worker

Film review: Still the enemy within

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Focus E15 single mothers

"These people need homes - these homes need people"

Bob Severn, East London Socialist Party

Twenty nine unemployed single mothers face eviction for a second time by Newham Labour council. This time from the abandoned council block the mums have occupied. The council's first eviction attempt was booted out by the court on 26 September.

Newham council in east London, run by budget-slashing Blairite mayor Sir Robin Wales, withdrew funding for the mothers' accommodation at the Focus hostel in E15 a year ago.

The flats are part of Stratford's Carpenters Estate. Focus E15 mums are teaming up with residents who want to save their homes. Newham's 100% Labour council wants to demolish the estate as refurbishment is 'too expensive'.

But the occupied flats have already been partially refurbished. Residents at a meeting in the estate's pub agreed to finish the refurbishment so the flats can again become homes.

The council's real game is social cleansing - push out council tenants and build expensive housing, part of the 'Olympic regeneration'.

The occupation has received national media coverage, and teamed up with other housing campaigns including the New Era estate in neighbouring Hackney (see last week's Socialist). This hasn't stopped the vindictive council's second attempt at eviction proceedings.

As the banners outside the block say: "These people need homes - these homes need people."