What Labour councillors in Lambeth have said about the 40-year-old ‘short life’ housing co-op communities in Lambeth…and what they then did…
What Lambeth Labour councillors said:
“Labour will continue to fight for your right to stay in your home.”
What Lambeth Labour councillors did:
Support evictions
What Lambeth Labour councillors said:
“Your communities have given a welcome permanence and continuity to the area.”
What Lambeth Labour councillors did:
Support evictions and break up these communities.
What Lambeth Labour councillors said:
“It would senseless as well as expensive to evict people only to have to rehouse them again.”
What Lambeth Labour councillors did:
Support evictions & a policy that saw social housing units lost and people pushed on to the already over-subscribed waiting list.
What Lambeth Labour councillors said:
“Some of these houses would not be standing if it was not for the work of the people living in them.”
What Lambeth Labour councillors did:
Support evictions & sell these homes at auction, perversely using the inflated market value against ‘shortlifers’ to the point of putting out misleading statements about the value of the housing stock!
Councillor Nigel Haselden (Labour, Clapham Town Ward) came up with this gem in discussion:
“I’m only one man, what can I do?”
And then, a few weeks later, he just dismissed the betrayal of his previous support by saying: “That’s politics!”
And finally, a special place in the ‘hall of shame’ for Val Shawcross who told Lambeth United campaigners that the evictions “shouldn’t be happening” and that we should get a documentary team on the case – this was before she unceremoniously ditched her support for us (too afraid to rock Lambeth Council’s boat) and, in one case, rounded on a LU group member with an email addressing them in a way totally unsuitable for an elected representative.
This is the contemptuous attitude shown by the people representing our communities.
Would you trust them on any other issue?
Protesting against Lambeth Council’s treatment of ‘shortlife’ means that you are helping other Lambeth residents avoid similar treatment!