“In 1966 the powerful Cathy Come Home shone a light on the desperate housing problems gripping Britain at the time. When the programme first aired, the extent of the crisis shocked the nation – 3 million people were living in slums or stuck in a brutal private renting market. It was a far cry from…Read more…
Cameron’s premiership saw least housebuilding since 1923
“David Cameron had the worst housebuilding record of any Prime Minister since 1923. An average of 123,560 houses were built in England and Wales during each year of his premiership, according to data released by the independent House of Commons library…Read more…
UNISON vows to campaign for social housing
Conference agrees actions against Housing Act
The article UNISON vows to campaign for social housing first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Housing crisis is ‘a national disaster’, conference hears
Local government delegates hear plea for a housing policy which will help people: ‘build, build, build’
The article Housing crisis is ‘a national disaster’, conference hears first…Read more…
Stealing homes and killing communities
These are notes from a briefing and discussion we had at last months Forest Gate North Labour Party branch meeting on the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and it’s consequences. The briefing is based on an Unison report to its NEC. Our branch now tr…Read more…
Axe the Housing Act
Picture is from the Defend Council Housing lobby against the Housing and Planning Bill in the House of Commons earlier this month. A number of MPs, Lords, Tenant representatives, campaigners and trade unions came to speak at it.
I was late due t…Read more…
Strike for fair pay
Members of Unite working at Homes and Communities Association (HCA) are striking for fair pay and proper pay negotiations today (May 19). Unite’s 145 members at two locations began a 24 hour…Read more…
Cameron’s ‘bare cupboard’
The annual Queen’s Speech should ostensibly lay out the government’s forthcoming legislative agenda, but today’s Speech – dominated by meaningless rhetoric and peppered with a shameless rehashing of…Read more…
Housing bill ping-pong
The government is struggling to push through its housing agenda as its Housing Bill enters into a furious game of parliamentary ping-pong between the Commons and the House of Lords. Peers…Read more…
Eve of Poll 4 May 2016 – Getting the Labour Vote out
The day started with some family political scandal via LinkedIn, my lovely sister-in-laws’ current husband, has just defected as a North Wales Councillor (and former Mayor) from Plaid Cymru to the Conservatives. No further comment.
Other than that a b…Read more…
“Stop the Housing Bill” Lobby tomorrow Tuesday 3rd May
I will be at the lobby tomorrow evening after 5pm (Tuesday 3rd May).
From UNISON press release “The Housing and Planning Bill is nearing its conclusion in Parliament, it returns to the Commons on 3 May, when it will be debated by MPs.
This is a cruci…Read more…
Govt’s house of cards
First it was cuts to tax credits, then the raid on disability benefits – and now measures in the Housing Bill are facing defeat. The government’s proposed policies, all taking aim at those who are…Read more…
No more excuses – time to address Scotland’s housing crisis
#STUC16 The STUC will press the incoming Scottish Government to back Shelter Scotland’s campaign for a radical programme to build more affordable and social rent homes. It will also campaign for such a building programme to create directly employed construction jobs and apprenticeships.
Supporting, UNISON’s Mark Ferguson told delegates that it is a national scandal that estimates show thereRead more…
We need politicians to be bold in opposing austerity
#STUC16 The STUC has backed a UNISON and GMB 10 point plan for decent public services which are key to ‘reducing poverty and economic inequality.’
UNISON’s Stephen Smellie told delegates there was a broad political consensus in Scotland against austerity but words were not enough.
“We must insist that Scottish politicians can’t hide behind the ‘it’s all the fault of the Tories and we can’t doRead more…
Sadiq Kahn – the boy from a council estate who will fix the Tory housing crisis.
Picture is from the launch this month of Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, policy on Housing for London.
The launch took place in a church hall in Earlsfield, South London. On the way to the launch from the station I walked past the Henry Price Council …Read more…
‘We will work to protect housing association jobs and conditions’
UNISON tells London housing associations planning merger that success of plans relies on ‘efforts of dedicated workforce’
The article ‘We will work to protect housing association jobs and…Read more…
ONS data confirms rents in London are a high-rise nightmare
The latest monthly ONS economic review includes a focus on housing tenure. There are a number of takeaways from this latest release but the prospects for those in rented accommodation appear gloomy, and Londoners, especially younger Londoners are beari…Read more…
We must fight this Conservative assault on neighbourhood policing – Sadiq Khan
Labour’s candidate for mayor of London on the important role UNISON members have to play in the forthcoming elections
The article We must fight this Conservative assault on neighbourhood policing –…Read more…
#Budget2016: TUC reaction roundup
The Chancellor, George Osborne delivered the 2016 budget yesterday, here is a quick round up of reactions from our TUC bloggers: Public Service cuts £3.5bn worth of cuts to public services by 2020. The spending cuts will be identified through an ‘efficiency review’. Cuts and increased pressures on…Read more…
Decent housing for all – is that such an unrealistic demand?
UNISON is supporting the “Kill The Housing Bill” campaign, calling for significant investment in building more homes of all types to alleviate the housing crisis, and for improvements to the Bill to…Read more…