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Written by Austin Mitchell
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18 November 2004 |
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Read about the recent developments on Council Housing following the success of the "fourth option" resolution passed by an
overwhelming majority of delegates at this years Labour Party Conference...
The campaign for the fourth option took a big step forward when the alliance of tenants, trade unions, councillors and MPs won an overwhelming vote at Labour’s conference. The government then agreed to conduct a ‘review’ (see DCH website www.defendcouncilhousing..org.uk)
"The deputy prime minister's policy of forcing councils to switch their homes to new management has been thrown into disarray after a humiliating defeat at the Labour party conference" Guardian Unlimitted. Daily Mirror added its support arguing ‘Councils selling off estates to private firms must end’.
The vote was a major boost to the campaign for the ‘fourth option’ for council housing as an alternative to transfer, PFI and ALMOs and leaves the government totally isolated. The vote came after lengthy private negotiations between Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and leading trade unionists, councillors and party activists to try and reach agreement before the debate.
John Prescott conceded to the conference "Public funding of housing doesn't treat local authorities fairly" and told delegates several times that they were “near agreement”.
Housing Minister, Keith Hill, said “We are continuing negotiation, a discussion, with the various interested parties... We are continuing the review as we promised to do”.
Austin then received a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister 24 hours before the National Defend Council Housing Conference. He duly informed the 350 representatives on October 28th of John Prescott’s decision, “the review was explicitly conditional on the mover of the motion at the labour party conference agreeing to withdraw. The mover refused, so I'll be taking no further action in this matter.”
The feedback from the Conference prompted Austin to respond. |
