Taxpayers Against Poverty on the demonisation of council tenants

From Taxpayers Against Poverty founder Revd Paul Nicolson:

TRASHING NARRATIVE Trashing of characters of council tenants since 1997 to justify the destruction of their homes excludes millions of citizens from a fair share of UK wealth

19 October 2019

THE TRASHING NARRATIVE - SUMMARY

Council Housing started by providing security, freedom and an inside loo but since 1997 Prime Ministers have embarked on a policy of  trashing the characters of council tenants to justify the destruction of their homes. Tony Blair sought to transform Britain's most run-down areas saying the only answer for some of the worst sink estates could be demolition. Cameron slated council residents who live behind ‘padlocked and chained-up doors’ where ‘poor parenting, addiction and mental health problems’ are ‘entrenching poverty in Britain. In effect UK government deems around 10% its citizens, the poorest tenants, not worthy of a decent home, with truly affordable rent in a secure community or a fair share of the UK's wealth. The poorest are made even poorer. An ongoing oppression approaching a crime against humanity.  

I have been advised to check the sources of the otherwise useful blog from Architects for Social Housing (ASH). For example this is not true. "The adjacent Northumberland Park estate and its 1,417 homes has since been demolished to make way for the new football stadium".  I go to Church every Sunday in Northumberland Park and the council estate is still standing.


More at http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/news/trashing-narratve-trashing-of-characters-of-benefit-claimants-from-2010-to-

Government and Fiona Bruce backing for MIPIM UK Summit 2019

UK Government and Broadcasting selling out to global property market bonanza

Top finds by Google search of keyword:"Boris Johnson" MIPIM

Reflecting on my recent blog post Vermin-infested 'social housing' in the constituency of an MP who is a private landlord (1) I thought about attempting to write Hereford Times on the matter (word limit for readers letters generally 250 words), and got to thinking of now Prime Minister Boris Johnson's record as London Mayor in relation to the property developers' bonanza called MIPIM.

"What might that indicate for a post-Brexit UK in terms of dodgy trade deals and sell off of UK land while cuts in government spending on social housing are diverted toward 'Help to Buy' subsidies for property developers?" I wondered.

So I looked up
"Boris Johnson" MIPIM 
by way of a Google search.(2)

The second find down on that search results page

MIPIM UK Summit, the UK's leading property event

https://www.mipimuk.co.uk › en-gb

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has endorsed this year's MIPIM UK Summit in a foreword in which he emphasises the importance of the built environment sector to ...

 led me to

Top of page view athttps://www.mipimuk.co.uk/en-gb.html

Housing Minister Esther McVey and Investment Dept for International Trade Minister Graham Stuart
booked as keynote speakers

Prime Minister of UK on the MIPIM UK Summit
View letter link
https://www.mipimuk.co.uk/content/dam/sitebuilder/rm/mipim-uk/pdf/PM_Message-MIPIM_UK_Summit.pdf

BBC Question Time Chairperson Fiona Bruce to chair 're-energised MIPIM UK Summit
View full speaker list link
https://www.mipimuk.co.uk/en-gb/conferences-content.html

Confirmed sponsors include Homes England and other UK housing-related public bodies
Discover MIPIM UK Summit participating companies
https://online-database.mipimuk.co.uk/en/online-database/companies/

While I note that this event has already happened by now, I shall put a close to this 'announcement' blog post for now, so as to flag it up for others' analysis, except for me to add a link to blog post
http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/news/it-is-abuse-of-power-for-property-developer-lendlease-tottenham-hotspur-foo

POWER CORRUPTS - PEOPLE SUFFER Lendlease, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Haringey Council to team up to force the small private companies of the Peacock Estate off the land

.

Reference Notes

1. https://newsforwardsfromalanwheatley.blogspot.com/2019/10/vermin-infested-social-housing-in-the-constituency-of-a-landlord-mp.html
2. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=%22boris+johnson%22+mipim

PS: Publishable feedback received by e-mail

From Wembley Matters blogger Martin Francis, by e-mail:

Thanks Alan.  You may be interested in another couple of links. Green Party demonstrating against MIPIM when it was held in London. London Green Party officially badged the video (though got my local party wrong) - when the Green Party actually campaign don issue other than elections -  and an article by me on how the MIPIM culture was affecting regeneration decisions.

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2014/10/housing-for-people-not-profit-greens-at.html

Title: Housing for People NOT Profit: Greens at MIPIM Protest Today

[Martin is the second speaker on the video at that page, that I feel worth re-presenting here]

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2012/10/is-donalds-right-development-road-for.html

Title:Is Donald's the right development road for Brent?


 Martin

New Internationalist: The assault on Rojava

11 October 2019

Turkey

Rahila Gupta on why Turkey is encroaching on Rojava, an autonomous democratic commune fighting on the frontlines against ISIS.

Kurdish YPJ fighters embrace in Afrin, a city now occupied by Turkey since January 2018. Credit: Kurdishstruggle/Flickr

On 9 October, Turkey began a military invasion on northern Syria to attack the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It’s an open secret that Turkey has been waiting in the wings for an opportunity to annihilate the Kurdish autonomous region Rojava in northeastern Syria, ever since it was established in 2012 while Assad’s attention was focused on the civil uprising, part of the Arab Spring, in the south.

According to President Erdoğan of Turkey, the Kurdish struggle for self-determination, in south-east Turkey, led by the PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) which is proscribed by the authorities as ‘terrorist’, is closely related to the PYD (Democratic Union Party) in Rojava.

There is no doubt that theirs is a shared ideology, one that has been formulated by their joint leader, Abdullah Öcalan, now in his 21^st year of incarceration in a Turkish prison.  But the PYD’s organizing principle is democratic confederalism: a system of direct democracy, ecological sustainability and ethnic inclusivity, where women have veto powers on new legislation and share all institutional positions with men....

[Continue reading at https://newint.org/features/2019/10/11/assault-rojava ]

Green Left Press Release - End Turkey’s Invasion of Rojava

(Green Left is the eco-socialist, anti-capitalist current within the Green Party of England & Wales.)

On the 9th October, Turkish armed forces invaded the Kurdish antonymous region of North Eastern Syria, bringing death and destruction to the area, and enabling the escape from prison of thousands of Islamic State terrorists. The USA and other western nations, including the UK, effectively allowed this operation to take place, by withdrawing their own armed forces. Already, we have numerous Kurdish civilian casualties, including children.

Since 2012, when the revolution in Rojava began, the Kurdish people have been building an alternative model for society – based on the three fundamental principles of women’s liberation, ecology and radical democracy. In the last 7 years, bottom up, self-administrated and ecological projects have been created everywhere: neighbourhood councils – women’s centres – educational academies – an alternative, free school system – economic and agricultural cooperatives – and much more besides.

In a region blighted with reactionary politics, the Rojava experiment is a beacon of the sort of politics needed all over the world. These people also did us in the west a great favour by defeating the brutal Islamic State terrorists, and now we abandon them to the tyranny of the Turkish military forces. The Kurdish fighters are brave and battle hardened, but the Turkish forces are much stronger.

Green Left calls for an end to Turkish violent aggression against Rojava, and stands in solidarity with the people of Rojava.

Green Left is the ecosocialist current within the Green Party of England and Wales.

Contacts

Mike Shaughnessy - mike.shaugnessy@btinternet.com

Malcolm Bailey - jmbaileyx@yahoo.com

Roy Sandison - roysandison@btinternet.com

Ends

http://greenleftblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/green-left-press-release-on-rojava.html

Vermin-infested 'social housing' in the constituency of an MP who is a private landlord

Please note: Since publishing this blog post, I've received e-mail response from the MP cited, to a letter I wrote Hereford Times about the matter:

Dear Alan

Thank you for copying me in on your email.  Of course I very much share your concerns that the quality of local housing should be as high as possible. But it is not true that I am a "Landlord MP". My wife and I used to have a flat which was let for a few years but we no longer do.

Yours sincerely,

Jesse [Norman]

 None the less, I would point out that Jesse Norman is a Conservative MP, and current UK Conservative Government is deeply involved with global privatisation of UK social housing.

Alan Wheatley

---

An herefordtimes.com site search of keywords

"herefordshire housing ltd" rats [1]

records instances of rats in empty homes in Beattie Avenue, Hereford, dating back to at least May 2019. What makes the Hereford Times, Thursday October 11, 2019 print edition front page story 'Rats run riot: Empty homes are "crawling with vermin"' regarding these keywords stand out though, is photographic evidence of

"rats so bold that [a street resident] was even able to take a picture of them in a garden in broad daylight."[2]

Hereford Times, Oct 10, 2019 lead story, with photo caption:
"Neighbour Julie Dutton, inset, says unoccupied homes in Beattie Avenue, Hereford are infested.
Picture: Rob Davies"

while the Hereford Times article reports that

"Herefordshire Housing tenants say rats are spreading through the boarded-up properties, burrowing under the occupied homes and entering their gardens in search for food...."

 

 Herefordshire Housing Ltd "supporting 'customers' to achieve their potential for sustainable wellbeing and independence"?

Perhaps if Herefordshire Housing Ltd were a restaurant, public health inspectors would order it closed down? But

"Herefordshire Housing provides homes to people across Herefordshire, managing and maintaining over 5800 homes. We are a not for profit housing association that aims to support and challenge individuals, families and communities to achieve their potential for sustainable wellbeing and independence"[3]

and in an era in which social housing has been privatised, describes tenants as "customers":

"We have been working with pest control agencies who have provided us and our customers with safety advice to support them and alleviate their concerns specific to their circumstances."[4]

The Parliamentary constituency concerned is Hereford & South Herefordshire, where the MP is Jesse Norman (Conservative). Jesse Norman is one the "one in five" MPs who are private landlords.[5]

Meanwhile, a 6 x A5 page leaflet from Bloor Homes distributed to my home about half a mile from Beattie Avenue proclaims on its cover:

WHAT IS IT THEY SAY?

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE (5 YEARS INTEREST) FREE.

MAKE AN EFFORTLESS MOVE TO HEREFORD POINT

wherein lies

"2 and 3 bedroom new homes from £224,950" at "5% deposit. 5 year interest free loan. A brand new home. All with Help to Buy*.
[* refers to the small print at the back of the leaflet]

"You've found it: the perfect new home, in a location you love.
A wonderful 2 or 3 bedroom one just like our new homes at Hereford Point.
So how do you make one of them yours?

"By using the Help to Buy scheme and having a 5% deposit.
After that, it's simply a case of moving in and getting your new home looking exactly as you've imagined.
And that's the best bit.

"Get in touch today to find out how Help to Buy can help you."

Money Week describes 'Help to Buy' as "a crazy subsidy for housing developers."[6]

Questions arising from all this:

1. What budget has Herefordshire Housing Ltd at its disposal for property maintenance so that they can address the problems arising from the empty, boarded up, vermin-infested prefabs in Beattie Avenue?
2. How much taxpayers money has helped boost property developers' and private landlords' profits in Herefordshire?
3. Is it okay that landlord MPs have a big say in the development of housing-related government policies, such as how 'affordable rent' is defined?
4. Can a landlord MP really represent the best interests of constituents who cannot afford to benefit from 'Help to Buy' or even nominally 'affordable rents'?

Reference Notes

1. https://www.herefordtimes.com/search/?search=%22herefordshire+housing+ltd%22+rats
2. https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/17965358.empty-homes-street-crawling-rats/
3. https://www.hhl.org.uk/about
4. Hereford Times, Thursday, October 10, 2019, 'Rats run riot: Empty homes are crawling with vermin' lead story  
5. https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/almost-one-in-five-mps-are-landlords
6. 
   

Herefordshire Council and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard

The term ‘infrastructure’ in relation to planning Herefordshire’s sustainable future is generally confined to matters such as transport and telecoms communications with reference to housing and workforce amid Climate Emergency and employment opportunities.

What about issues of socio-economic justice and enforcement of rights and responsibilities, along with poorer people’s access to information, advice, guidance and advocacy? As an example, my Freedom of Information request regarding Council Tax debt revealed that Herefordshire Council summonsed nearly 7,500 people for Council Tax debt in 2017/2018. The Council seemed more keen on punishing poor folk than advising them of their rights.[1]

Now, property developers cream off ‘Help to Buy’ Government moneys to attract purchasers of new housing,[2] including purchases for ‘buy to rent’ market while [really unaffordable] ‘affordable rent’ is defined as 85% of market rent. And what about heating costs while the Met Office anticipates the coldest winter for 30 years?[3]

Potentially ameliorating news there is that “a new regulation [states] thatlandlords cannot lawfully let a home with an Energy Efficiency Ratingof F or G… the law says that landlords and agents who advertise homes to let must show the energy rating in the ad, and landlords must also give new tenants an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The Certificate informs you about the Rating, and also provides information about the steps the landlord could take to make your home warmer and cheaper to heat….

“Government statistics for 2018 show that more than 18% of greenhouse gases in the UK are emitted from the homes we live in.”[4]

As with Council Tax payments related to a property, tenants' fuel bills are currently of little concern to greedy landlords. (Where tenants have absconded without paying Council Tax, however, unpaid Council Tax becomes the landlord's responsibility, as in the case of 'Peter'.[5])

How will the new Council help enforce this Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard E for tenants and planet?

Notes for printing out:

1. https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/17273040.revealed-thousands-summonsed-over-council-tax-debt/
2. https://moneyweek.com/509813/help-to-buy-a-crazy-subsidy-for-housebuilders/
3. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/this-winter-could-be-coldest-for-30-years-bringing-snow-event-after-snow-event-104832843.html
4. http://advice4renters.org.uk/wp/2019/09/03/how-tenants-can-be-warm-and-help-to-save-the-planet/
5. https://www.bigissue.com/latest/council-tax-scandal-part-ii-human-cost/ 

Worcestershire Trade Union Council demonstration against precarious employment, Saturday 5 Oct 2019, 11am-2pm

I preface this announcement by Hilary Cross, Branch Secretary of both Worcestershire Trades Union Council and Unite the Union Community Section Worcestershire Branch, with a little introduction to the subject of 'precarious employment'.

'Zero compassion contracts? Not thanks!'
A placard wording I previously created for Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group in 2004

'Precarious employment' and 'the precariat'

A more well-known term than 'precarious employment' and the related social class 'the precariat' is 'zero hours contracts'. 'Zero hours contracts' existed before 2010 General Election gave way to Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government.

It was pointed out at a Social Work Action Network (SWAN) event I attended that the 'welfare reform' measures enacted by the then Labour Government, that working conditions at, say, Pizza Hut, were such that the 'reserve army of labour' involved — even when present on the premises! — were only paid for the time that they were assigned to active services. Thus the Incapacity Benefit claimants being shunted onto Employment & Support Allowance as a lever toward getting them into the workforce as part of a 'reserve army of labour' were potentially being put at great risk, and the social workers, service users, academics and students who allied themselves to SWAN should thus oppose that policy promoted by investment banker turned 'welfare reform guru' David Freud.

(Essentially, for social workers to support policies that rendered people with limited capacity for paid work as part of the 'reserve army of labour' would be tantamount to neglect of social workers' duties to protect vulnerable people. See also https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2008/03/11/pathways-to-work-to-help-those-unfit-for-work/ but note that Community Care magazine has had a post-2011 history of deleting many benefit-claimant-friendly articles, apparently to favour their advertisers as social care has become more marketised.)

Wikipedia defines 'precarious work':

Precarious work is a term that critics of globalization use to describe non-standard employment that is poorly paid, insecure, unprotected, and cannot support a household.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarious_work 

The original Latin root of 'precarious' was "to obtain by prayer." For more on this, see https://greattransition.org/publication/precariat-transformative-class

To conclude this introduction to the event, when right wingers talk about "getting people off benefits and into work," they conveniently overlook the fact that a great many of the people now on the income top-ups now incorporated into 'Universal Credit' are among the 'working poor'.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/10/the-misery-despair-and-pain-of-universal-credit

The announcement:

Dear Member
Quick reminder:
Worcester Trades Union Council day of action on precarious employment
Saturday 5th October, 11am - 2pm
Stalls and gazebo outside the Guildhall, High Street, Worcester, WR1 2EY.


Helpers needed for one-hour slots during the day.
Helpers also needed to set up at 10.30am and pack up at 2pm.
Please let me know if you can join us and when.



Please share the facebook post https://www.facebook.com/unitewm5109/


Best wishes
Hilary Cross
Branch Sec.

How to get there using public transport:

Link to Traveline Midlands, for journeys within the South, East and West Midlands