All Campaigns subcategories:
Housing keywords:
Tenants
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Swansea
Tenants defeat housing sell-off
'DEFEND COUNCIL Housing' (DCH) campaigners in Swansea are celebrating the defeat of the council's attempt to privatise its housing stock. Almost three in four of the 13,000 tenants who voted rejected the council's plans.
Rob Williams Swansea Defend Council Housing and Socialist Party
A protracted campaign lasting a year, fought the Liberal-led coalition's attempt to transfer the housing stock to a 'community mutual', Tawe Housing. The council insisted this was a 'not for profit' body but tenants knew it was the thin end of the wedge to end public housing in Swansea and open the door to the private sector.
Council housing is one of the jewels in working-class gains in Britain, particularly as many are priced out of the housing market. Victory for the council would have turned the clock back to less secure tenancies and higher rents.
The council, echoing the New Labour Westminster parliament and Welsh Assembly policy spent at least £1.4 million on their campaign. But last summer a united DCH campaign undermined the council's arguments in a series of public meetings throughout Swansea's estates.
Public sector unions locally, especially UNISON, funded the sending of letters to every tenant's house and a big advert in the local paper calling for a 'No' vote. It shows the effect the trade union movement can have when mobilised.
However, the big unions still give funds to New Labour, despite its policies of attacking union members. Housing workers would have followed the housing into the private sector.
It was the previous Labour controlled council that first floated the plan for a housing transfer. The need for a new mass workers' party is again posed by this struggle.
Now we have to fight for the fourth option - real public investment in council housing. Swansea council claim that it can only raise £176 million of the £371 million needed to repair the stock but the government were willing to make funds available if the transfer went through.
New Labour are prepared to bribe the privateers.
The needs of council tenants, now and in future, must come first. The investment gap must be fought for through a mass campaign of council tenants, council workers and the wider working class.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999