Speech to London Labour Conference on Housing Composite

"John Gray, Unison delegate and speaking in favour of this composite. An unison motion on housing is part of the composite and I want to concentrate in this contribution on the Housing and Planning Act and the major threat that it poses to Londoners and the future of London.

Conference, I think we all here today understand that we are living through a housing crisis and the lack of affordable homes of all tenures is blighting the lives of workers and their families across our city.

More and more people, particularly the young, are at risk of rent arrears, evictions and homelessness, causing financial hardship and misery to all those affected.

Yet the Tories has failed to tackle the crisis. In fact just when you think things cannot get any worse - they come out with the Housing and Planning Act. Conference I work in housing in London.

Let us be clear what this act will mean for Londoners in particular.

The extension of Right to Buy to housing associations will delete housing stock for all and under the Pay to Stay tax many workers that UNISON represents will face massive rents increases.

Those most affected are not the well paid - but caretakers, school cooks, nurses and street cleaners.

For example if you and your partner earn more than £40,000 in London, that is say £20,000 each, your rent will go up. The LGA nationally reckon that 70,000 tenants will have to pay over a £1000 more per year.

Conference, you can be pretty darn sure that due to our high rents the majority of tenants hit by this rise will be Londoners. It was worked out by Labour housing spokesperson, John Healey, that the "pay to stay tax" will be the equivalent of a staggering 83% income tax on those cleaners, cooks and nurses who earn a total combined household income of over £40,000

It will also result in the means testing of all council and housing associations tenants even those who have never claimed benefits.

Councils in London are going to be forced to sell their homes to pay for the Tory right to buy bribe. That cannot be right.

But Conference the Act is not yet a done deal. There is still time to campaign against this Act. The government has to come back to parliament to table regulations. In the housing press this week it is clear that the government is running into trouble over implementing the act

While Right to Buy and Pay to Stay tax is compulsory for local authorities, it is voluntary on Housing Associations. They do not have to do this. I repeat they do not have to take part.

Conference, in London we must use our power and influence to tell housing associations not to sell homes and not to tax their residents.

We must tell residents that the Tories are coming for their homes, they are also getting rid of security of tenure, they are going to drive ordinary Londoners out of their homes by massive rent rises

But not only should be telling them and warning them, we should be organising them, we should be working with residents, working with the trade unions, working with Cllrs, MPs, the mayor, assembly members and CLPs. All working together as a Labour movement - for all Londoners

Conference please support this composite please join the fight back and play your bit in "Axing the Housing Act". Thank you.

#Lab16: Axe the Housing Act Fringe

I am still catching up on posts about this year's Labour Party Conference. On the Monday evening of conference I was a UNISON speaker at the "Axe the Housing Act" fringe with Unite Assistant General Secretary, Steve Turner (seen speaking in photo), Salford Councillor, Peter Wheeler, and Eileen Short from Defend Council Housing.

To be clear the mood of this meeting was very angry about what is seen as the failure of Housing Associations to take on the Government over "Right to buy" and "Pay to stay". Councillors and activists from across the country at the fringe condemned this "betrayal".

Steve gave a lively and passionate speech about how this Act will spell disaster for working people on low incomes already in social housing and present day overcrowded and homeless families who desperately need homes. Peter spoke about the Act being a further attack on the deprived communities that he represents, many of whom live in appalling conditions and should have access to good quality, secure and affordable council homes. 

Eileen went through the Housing and Planning Act provisions, pointing out what could happen when social rents rise to market rates for workers on below average incomes, Councils are forced to sell off their properties to pay for the Right to Buy discount for Housing Associations and the disastrous consequences from giving tenants only short term and insecure tenancies.

A huge problem is that no-one really knows how the act will be actually implemented.

The Government have not yet issued regulations and guidance. This does give us campaigning opportunities since they will have to return to Parliament to do so.

I spoke about the need for there to be a coalition of residents, unions and the Labour Party to defeat the Act.  Many UNISON members are relatively low paid caretakers, porters, school cooks, admin officers and teaching assistants who will be caught out by "Pay to stay". They face massive and unaffordable rent increases. UNISON will be surveying its members to find case studies to illustrate what we believe could be many thousands of workers forced to move and leave their homes.

Present and future generations will be cheated out of possible Council homes since these homes will have to be sold off to pay for the Tory General Election bribe of Right to Buy for Housing Associations.

Finally, I asked everyone to understand that this is a political issue. Tell your friends, relatives and neighbours that the housing crisis is a political crisis. The reason why you or your son or your daughter cannot find a decent, affordable home is because of the political decisions made by this government. The only way we will solve this crisis is by supporting a government that makes a political decision to build more affordable and decent homes of all tenures. We must never, ever forget this simple truth - politics matter.

Hat tip photo Glyn Robbins