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No to evictions!

Louise Whittle
22nd September 2011 at 17:46
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I attended the lobby of Wandsworth Council yesterday. The council was discussing a “new mandatory power of possession for anti-social behaviour”

“The council said they will continue to evict council house tennants who are involved in anti social behaviour, including families accussed of looting during the riots”.

Council leader Ravi Govindia said: “We took the action that was required of us and for that I have no shame.”

Well, they should feel shame as a family is up for eviction as a family member has been accused of taking part in the riots from last month. His court case is coming up in early October. The fact the council sees fit to carry out this draconian act is bad enough but moreover the person accused has not been found guilty of any offence.  This isn’t justice this is a witch-hunt.

What is even more galling is many Labour MPs are all behind this “tough on riots” stance and uttering words like “criminality” yet how many of them flipped their houses? How many claimed fancy luxuries as expenses?

What is the difference between someone walking off with a Plasma telly from a looted shop and an MP who thinks it OK to claim for their £850 television set from Selfridges as expenses? Who are the real criminals?

The aftermath of the riots isn’t about looking at the underlying issues what caused them but about medieval style retribution and witch-hunting. We need to organise and fight against these proposed evictions.

As John Clossick, from Wandsworth Against Cuts said: “This council have said they are going to evict them. The problem is that it is Cameron’s flagship council, and they could introduce it elsewhere.”

Indeed see Southwark Council…35 tenants sent eviction warning letters.

See my blog at HarpyMarx for photos from yesterday’s lobby (http://harpymarx.wordpress.com)

Tags: councils (1) | evictions (1) | riots (4) | social housing (1)

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