Grenfell Tower Residents - You Are Not Alone
“When society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual."
"These words were written by Friedrich Engels in 1845. Over 170 years later, Britain remains a country that murders its poor. When four separate government ministers are warned that Grenfell and other high rises are a serious fire risk, then an inferno isn’t unfortunate. It is inevitable. What happened wasn’t a "terrible tragedy" or some other studio-sofa platitude: it was social murder."
The above statement is from the Grenfell Action Group's (GAG) website from 22nd June 2017, and one we wholeheartedly support.
Also from their website, as we can’t say it any better "the many who lost their lives in this catastrophe were our friends and neighbours. We tried to speak for them in life and we will continue to speak for them now. We share the sense of anger and injustice that has troubled this community for years."
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- Published: 26 June 2017
Rough Sleeping Is Not A Crime
Over the last few months, the police and Home Office have been systematically arresting, detaining and deporting European Economic Area (EEA) national rough sleepers.
In May last year, the Government adopted the legally dubious position that rough-sleeping is an “abuse” of EU Citizens’ right to freedom of movement”. The “abuse of right” law is intended to allow the deportation of EU citizens convicted of crimes, but the Government is using it to crack down on migrant rough sleepers who’ve committed no crime.
Cash-strapped local councils are being bribed to support these actions through access to a new pot of money - the Controlling Migration Fund - available to councils that identify rough sleepers to the Home Office or bully homeless migrants into returning home voluntarily. Over half of the rough-sleepers in London are migrants. This is largely because of unfair laws that restrict migrants’ ability to claim benefits. As such, people who have lived, worked and paid tax in the UK for years can find themselves homeless with no safety net.
Even when councils have a legal duty to house migrants (such as when they have children), they do all they can to wriggle out of it - in one case claiming that a mother and her children had a “network” they could rely on because she was staying with a stranger she’d met at the bus stop.
They end up in a Catch-22 situation - unable to pay their rent, but being faced with arrest and deportation if sleeping rough.
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- Published: 01 May 2017
The Great Housing Swindle
Years ago, Margaret Thatcher got elected. Her and her gang nicknamed 'The Tories' conned loads of us to buy our council houses.
At the time people said, “Don’t do it, it’s a con”. Yet many fell for it. Some wanted to make a quick buck. Others saw it as “protecting” their housing security. Not trusting local authorities, buying seemed the best option. When huge repair bills arrived and interest rates hit the roof, many were evicted for mortgage arrears or left with huge debt.
Now, these homeowners who took housing out of the council’s stock are again realising they were conned by 'The Tories'.
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- Published: 16 July 2016
Abolish Universal Credit
The introduction of Universal Credit, which replaces many state benefits, will have a damaging effect on millions of working families, leaving the poorest running up the down escalator.
Under Universal Credit low-paid workers will be required to work with DWP job coaches to seek more work hours, higher pay, or an extra job as a condition of receiving benefits. If claimants fall short of targets agreed with coaches, they may face financial penalties.
Now this appalling government has introduced this policy in Haringey with a clear intention to sap money from the poor and making victims of anyone who needs benefits. The programme is a perfect example of the government's heartless policies.
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- Published: 13 July 2016
Death by a thousand Cuts
We hear politicians claim “the NHS is safe in our hands” but do any of us believe these lies?
Go into any A&E. Try and get a GP’s appointment. If you have drug or mental health problems try and get help. Ask anyone with care needs how they cope. We all know the results.
Money won’t solve it all but cuts are killing our health care slowly. When I say “ours” I mean workers and claimants. People like politicians and “the rich” have private health care. They don’t use the NHS.
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- Published: 08 July 2016
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