Jimmy Reid on tower blocks as 'filing cabinets'

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, I'd say that we need to look again not just at the matter of the 'cladding' materials used, but moreover at the nature of people's living conditions,

Heed the words of the late Scottish trade unionist and Communist Jimmy Reid in his 1972 inauguration speech as Rector of Glasgow University:

"Everything that is proposed from the establishment seems almost calculated to minimise the role of the people, to miniaturise man [sic]. I can understand how attractive this prospect must be to those at the top. Those of us who refuse to be pawns in their power game can be picked up by their bureaucratic tweezers and dropped in a filing cabinet under 'M' for malcontent or maladjusted. When you think of some of the high flats around us, it can hardly be an accident that they are as near as one could get to an architectural representation of a filing cabinet.

"If modern technology requires greater and larger productive units, let's make our wealth-producing resources and potential subject to public control and to social accountability. Let's gear or society to social need, not personal greed. Given such creative re-orientation of society, there is no doubt in my mind that in a few years we could eradicate in our country the scourge of poverty, the underprivileged, slums, and insecurity...."(1)

Also from Glasgow is Matt McGinn's 'Jeely Piece Song' aka 'Height Starvation Song'.(2)

For more of how things could and should be, there is a Taxpayers Against Poverty series of blog posts about solutions to the UK's housing crisis.(3)

Blog post by Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Link references

1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/still-irresistible-a-working-class-heros-finest-speech-2051285.html
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7SAPmcwXA
3. http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/news/TAP-has-published

Let us not help Theresa May bury the bad news about Universal Credit rollout, suicides and homelessness under a Brexit General Election

Yesterday's Kwug Blog carried a 'guest blog post' from Revd Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty.(1) Even in his mid-80's, Revd Paul is extremely prolific with his offerings and far quicker to respond than this disabled person. The best I can do to 'catch up with him' is generally to forward e-mail notifications of the Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) website on to the Kilburn Unemployed e-list, but even then be selective so as not to give vulnerable list members a sense of melt-down and information overload.(2)

The Kwug Blog 'guest contribution' posted yesterday, — A Universal Credit case study — however, included tabulated data that proved difficult to transmit by e-mail and provided valuable information about Universal Credit that the general public are largely ignorant about, and corporate mass media generally keeps buried while Universal Credit-related rent arrears can catapult the number of evictions from social housing.(3) It can take up to 12 weeks for a Universal Credit claim to be processed and thus for the claimant to get any Universal Credit income; yet under English Law, eviction proceedings can begin after just eight weeks or rent arrears.(4)

Revd Paul Nicolson does not keep his incisive light buried under a bushel, and though his latest offering by e-mail has not yet made it to the TAP website, I can help here to get the message out as soon as possible even while I was hoping to prioritise other things just now.

Referenda and General Elections are too often based not on real knowledge of issues, and the results are mangled in an unrepresentative 'first past the post' electoral system that is too influenced by the wealthy. Whatever the result of an 8 June General Election, it will not really be a mandate for what the people have heard too litlle of. I should add that while the KUWG focus is mainly on the benefits system while housing law is too complex for us to handle, TAP has a more extensive overview of things, and more specific to LB Haringey where Revd Paul lives.

With that, I shall just bring in Revd Paul's latest offering.

During election TAP will do what we do

Highlight depth of income poverty!!  

YELL "HOUSING CRISIS!!"

​

--

HARINGEY COUNCIL TAXES BENEFIT INCOMES OF ITS POOREST RESIDENTS OF UK'S MOST DEPRIVED WARDS WITH 

LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY AND HIGH RISK OF LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT.

from the Reverend Paul Nicolson

Taxpayers Against Poverty

No citizen without an affordable home and an 

adequate income in work or unemployment. 

93 Campbell Road, Tottenham, London N17 0BF, 0208 3765455, 07961 177889, 

https://www.facebook.com/Taxpayers-Against-Poverty-299911526728884/

https://twitter.com/taxpayers_a_p www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk, 

www.z2k.org, www.prohousingalliance.com

Link references

http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/a-universal-credit-case-study-by-revd-paul-nicolson.html
http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/
http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/a-universal-credit-case-study-by-revd-paul-nicolson.html 
https://scottishunemployedworkers.net/2016/07/15/sharing-knowledge-in-the-face-of-further-attacks/

Revd Paul Nicolson proclaimed the housing crisis, London Live reported it

"No room at the inn" is a very topical theme for this time of year. 'Public houses' at the heart of communities have been sold to property developers while those who cannot afford to live in supposedly 'affordable homes' are evicted and left on the streets rather than council waiting lists.

And Revd Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP), alongside Haringey Unite Community colleagues, proclaimed 'The Twelve Shames of Parliament' yesterday as 'key decision-makers' responsible prepared to spend a festive season with family.(1)

For more details, go to the TAP blog post Sound the alarm bell for the housing crisis,(2) and the London Live photo story Ringing the alarm bell for the housing crisis.(3)

(London Live is part of the broadcasting and news corporation that owns: the i newspaper that has developed out of The Independent:(4) London Evening Standard:(5) and London Live broadcasting channel.(6) Fortunately for us, it is not owned by Rupert Murdoch who wants full ownership of Sky Broadcasting.(7))

And Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group wish all a more enlightened festive season and New Year 2017.

Reference link Web addresses

1. http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/files/Taxpayers_Against_Poverty_3.pdf
2. http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/news/sound-the-alarm-bell-for-the-housing-crisis 
3. http://www.londonlive.co.uk/news/2016-12-20/ringing-the-alarm-bell-for-housing 
4. http://www.independent.co.uk/ 
5. http://www.standard.co.uk/ 
6. http://www.londonlive.co.uk/
7. https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/1705

Taxpayers Against Poverty: Mayor of London vs UK housing crisis and poverty?

Revd Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty writes:

CAN KHAN? Renters throughout UK will be helped to afford food, fuel & other needs if Kahn can control London rents.CAN KHAN?

RENTERS THROUGHOUT THE UK WILL BE HELPED TO AFFORD FOOD FUEL AND OTHER NEEDS IF KHAN CAN BRING RENTS UNDER CONTROL IN LONDON.
IF KAHN CAN THEN SO CAN OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
According to the 2011 census 58% of households in the London Borough of Haringey rent their homes, 47% in London and 33% in England.
Sadiq Khan committed himself to A LIVING WAGE & A LIVING RENT before he was elected Mayor of London.He now needs to clarify how he will make both happen for those renters plunged into the housing crisis by the UK property market.....

More at http://www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/can-khan-renters-throughout-uk-will-be-helped-to-afford-food-fuel-other-needs-if-kahn-can-control-london-rents/

Revd Paul Nicolson on Appeal to Appeal Court, EU referrendum, housing crisis, caps, cuts and council tax, and Mail columnist's change of heart

APPEAL TO APPEAL COURT - I have been given until the 25th April to file my skeleton argument when the court will decided whether to allow the appeal be heard. I am hoping to be represented through the Par Probono Unit. Meanwhile I have posted on the TAP website the issues which I hope will be included in my appeal and an extended TV interview with "Windows on the World". 

TO ALL WHO SUPPORT BREXIT it is wrong to blame EU for all UK's woes when the British Parliament is responsible; something Cameron, Blair and Brown might find difficult to say. It does not appear in the Government's leaflet which arrived in Tottenham this morning. CAMPAIGN TO REMAIN is also posted on TAP website. 

Housing crisis, caps, cuts and council tax are all home made. 

PETER HITCHENS change of heart is important and unexpected in the Daily Mail. 

All good wishes, 

Paul

from the Reverend Paul Nicolson

Taxpayers Against Poverty

No citizen without an affordable home and an 

adequate income in work or unemployment. 

93 Campbell Road, Tottenham, London N17 0BF, 0208 3765455, 07961 177889, 

https://www.facebook.com/Taxpayers-Against-Poverty-extra-220051591678621/

https://twitter.com/taxpayers_a_p www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk, 

www.z2k.org, www.prohousingalliance.com

Brent ARC opposing state racism, while Swheatie points to the real source of UK housing and job shortages

From Martin Francis' Wembley Matters blog

Preface by Swheatie of the KUWG

LB Brent is one of the London boroughs targeted by a racist Home Office witch hunt and Brent Anti-Racism's demonstration and awareness raising exercise in Wembley this morning cannot get everywhere.

So I have decided to post the start of Martin Francis' blog piece about the matter on this blog, concluding with a link to the full blog post on the Wembley Matters blog. The KUWG blog has viwers around the globe, and so hopefully there will also be viewers from the other London boroughs targeted.

The Home Office may have threatening arms, but the KUWG currently has a global following that should include the other London boroughs where the current ethnicity-based witch hunt is taking place.

And Swheatie wishes to point out that the London housing crisis arises more from successive UK government's under-investment in social housing stock, taxpayer-subsidised Right to Buy's erosion of social housing stock, and the greed of global capitalists who love gambling on shortages and spongeing off the UK state in their own ways.

And capitalism loves exporting jobs to wherever the working conditions are most slave like in the interests of profit, while global corporations pressurise nation states and the EU to make conditions for the reserve army of labour/slavery ever harder so that those who can will take up whatever 'job offers' are presented to them. And the Tory flagship 'Universal Credit' will, it is feared, bully the people claiming Working Tax Credits to find more working hours.

The real problem when people claim Universal Credit is more likely to be skinflint employers providing wages that are too low, and/or limits to the number of hours the employee can manage to make.

Brent Anti-Racism Campaign steps up rights campaign over Operation Skybreaker

Brent is one of five London boroughs to be chosen as the target for Operation Skybreaker. This follows targeting of the borough by racist organisations such as the BNP, Britain First and the South East Alliance and by the UK Border Agency and Home Office through the racist van and raids on tube stations.

Today the Brent Against Racism Campaign (BrentARC) will be in Wembley Central  distributing the leaflets below informing the public and businesses about their rights regarding Operation Skybreaker.

The leaflet below is particularly aimed at small business owners:

Continue reading this blog piece on the Wembley Matters blog....

Right to Buy exacerbating housing crisis — Z2K

From Zacchaeus 2000 — Justice for vulnerable debtors

Last week’s revelation that the London Investment Property Group is exploiting the Right to Buy to purchase what is left of council housing in central London is desperate news for those homeless and overcrowded families suffering at the sharp end of the Capital’s housing crisis.

In truth, the return of these predatory companies was an inevitable consequence of the Prime Minister’s ideologically-driven decision to inflate Right to Buy discounts to £100,000 and cut the qualifying period to three years....

Continue reading on Z2K website....

Real people's stories testify to housing crisis

(You probably wouldn't get any of these stories from Zoopla or RightMove!)

1. The housing problem — 2 children in one bedroom, 11 and 7 years. I give up bidding, I have 388 points, when I nearly reached 600 they took it off me. I try with a swap — they didn't accept me, comething about data protection. Exhange — people don't like the estate, 3rd floor.
2. Would want to live here, own flat, we live an a very small flat, in the long term for a bigger place — hit barriers, housing pricess... in a way it's good if you own — property prices going up... those schemes that can assist those who do earn... will drive out diversity if only rich can afford to live here.
3. One thing: the cuts to local government — council tax benefit — that affects my mum — it's talking money out of other things she needs, my sister has diabilities.
4. Housing issues — for a young man, is very hard, I'm at my parents. You should be offered something especially if you're working. They could build affordable council housing.
5. I don't realistically earn enough to live where I am... I wouldn't want it to get much more expensive round here, I hope people can still afford to live round here... a lot of the lawas for social housing are being dodged... It's a London-wide problem, it's a higher level problem, we need a new government, need Tories out, Lib Dems turned out useless, I voted for them. The vast majority of developments ave not much social housing — I read Private Eye, how they fudge the figures bout how much social housing. They don't think bout how it's going to be, even if you have more expensive restaurants, who's going to work there, people are having to travel further to work, pay more for travel. My brother and sister are caretakes for an estate that's empty, that's the only way they can live there.
6. Policies needs to be put in place... policies about rent control... a small proportion will stand to gain from gentrification. You can put on as many community shows, or entertainment and events and projects, but it doesn't mean shit if no one can afford to live here. A short-termism
7. Trieds to ask the landlord about damp — the council said, NW6 can easily find someone to replace you. — the landlord can send in environmental halth but there's no safeguard against not renewing contract or raising rent.
8. There's gentrification, landlords, no housing stock around here, might want to start a family, a terrible fear you won't get the diversity of classes, inocme bands... everything I love about this area would be destroyed.
9. I used to live here, now I live in Cricklewood, this was a small flat — had to go to Cricklewood to get a bigger one... Council would have to wait long... housing project build compounds.
10. 1 bed flat, 5 kids, me and husband didn't give any points, health and safety, kitchen and sitting room together.
11. If I could afford to buy a house here I'd stay; got the theatre, cinema, etc; don't know what else I'd want
12. Get a camera, do a documentary about homeless people — more and more people bing kicked out.
13. I have been threatened with evictions, the stress, amount of work to find new accommodation, it's too much, it disrupts the rest of your life. Your work.

Meet in August to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

A daytime strategy meeting to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

Called for by Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Supported by KUWG, Unite Community membership, and Community Organisers.

Everyone is now aware of the dceepening crisis in Housing in London and its impact on local residents and ourcommunities. Over the last two years the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has been dealing with — and campaigning on — more and more housing cases in the wider area.

We want to bring together people from across our community for a more united and sustainable response:

• Individuals (especially those with housing problems)
• Tenants and Residents Associations
• Housing and advice workers
• School, community and council rerpresentatives
• Trade Unions and political organisations.

We want to hold an inclusive, participatory strategy meeting so we can begin to:

• share experiences about the housing challenges faced by people in Kilburn and build connections
• help each other cope and find solutions; make our voices heard
• develop and campaign collectively around policies which would begin to meet real housing needs in the area

WE HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND PUBLICISE THIS MEETING TO OTHERS WHO MAY WANT TO BE INVOLVED:
11AM-1PM, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 @ CASA LATINA

Priory House, 10 Kingsgate Place, London NW6 4TA

(Some of) what's happening now:

• .... Housing insecurity and homelessness; inflated rents and house prices; huge shortage of social housing; overcrowding, disrepair, evictions... displacement
• ... reduction in the Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit for private accommodation), the benefit cap, 'Bedroom Tax', charging Council Tax on Benefits, "Affordable" rent being defined as 80% of the market rate [on a London that is becoming a global billionaires' Monopoly board], spike in benefit sanctions...
• ... Cuts to legal aid, advice, support and language services; no security of tenure in private and social housing; exploitation, bully and victimisation, ...
• ... Low pay and 'zero hour contracts', rogue landlords, loan sharks...

 KUWG is part of the Unite Community and the London Coalition Against Poverty and campaigns with Social Work Action Network, Brent Housing Action, Housing 4 All, and the London Radical Housing Network.