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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Labour left-wingers join housing campaigns to oppose evictions

The Momentum movement on the left wing of the Labour Party is joining forces with housing organisations to argue against private rental sector evictions.

Jennifer Forbes, a member of the national coordinating group of Momentum - the Labour grassroots movement closely identified with the former party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn - has written an article for left-wing newspaper Tribune calling for the creation of “an army of organisers” to oppose evictions. 

Forbes writes that the eviction issue can be used to “win people over through solidarity and collective action, and start to rebuild a mass working class base for the British socialist left.”

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She urges working with two housing campaign groups - ACORN and the London Renters Union - “to actually stop evictions.”

Other objectives include to extend the current eviction ban until September 2021 “at least” and “legislate to force landlords to forgive all rent arrears accumulated during the pandemic with means-tested financial support to compensate small landlords where necessary.” She also wants the scrapping of Section 21.

Forbes - who was a Labour Parliamentary candidate in the last election - writes: “We’ve got a couple of weeks before the ban lifts to build an army of organisers across the country. It’s the tireless work of people on the ground which will make the difference between success and failure.”

The Momentum Twitter account has promoted the article, which it describes as “fantastic” 

Meanwhile Momentum is organising a virtual meeting called “Renters Fighting Back!” tomorrow, with speakers including a Momentum member who is involved in ACORN, and two speakers linked with the London Renters Union.

Poll: Is there any argument for extending the eviction ban again?

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    Another group happy to dictate to landlords but not tenants. The bit about “forgive all rent arrears” is the best bit. Total nut job.

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    "rebuild a mass working class base for the British socialist left.”
    And that is there problem their policies only appeal these days to the people that don't work not the working classes. "to actually stop evictions" I believe deep down she is advocating to organise harassment of court appointed bailiffs when trying to gain entry

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    I wonder if they'll help the tenants of the guy who has reportedly already lost £60,000 and will lose at least another £60,000 in unpaid rent because of the new 6 month notice period? His non-paying tenants have already raked in an estimated £75,000 by renting the guy's house on Booking.com, and are likely to get the same again.

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    If the tenants approach ACORN, they will help *anyone* (including those causing ASB for other neighbours). I know, because I asked them during a webinar and it got them in a muddle because their immediate assumption was ‘tenants good; landlords bad’. They decided that if they’re an
    ACORN member, they would help regardless as it’s not their place to pass judgment. I then extended my question if the circumstance was a bad/ASB tenant was a member asking to help block their eviction, but their neighbour was also a member begging for them to go. They near-imploded.

     
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    ACORN is " . . a member-led campaigning organisation supporting & empowering low-income communities across the country to fight for a better life." Perhaps all landlords should join ACORN as we are now a low income community thanks to all the government legislation.

     
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    Will the last landlord switch off all the lights, pay the utility bills, council tax, licencing, check the electrical supply, get gas certificates, buy a begging bowl and join all the deposed tenants sitting in the high street with a mangy dog. No doubt some do-gooder will direct him or her to the nearest foodbank.
    This government really has lost the plot.

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    • 09 September 2020 11:26 AM

    I'd somewhat disagree David.

    As is apparent the Govt plot to get rid of LL is proceeding rather nicely.
    S24 has been their first attempt and now gratifyingly as far as they are concerned CV19 has come along to greatly assist those attempts.
    There isn't much Govt can do against unencumbered LL but they can do substantial damage to mortgaged LL.
    Effectively Govt intends to eradicate the small BTL LL.
    Just watch when new taxes come in for small corporate LL.
    All of those LL who sought to escape S24 will find all their efforts have been pointless.

    Govt will not let go of the BTL LL until they have been eradicated.

    Then they will go for all the unencumbered LL which currently comprise 50% of the PRS.
    I have no idea what further they might do to get rid of these LL.
    I can conjecture but who knows.
    When a private citizen is up against a Govt ideology that seeks their eradication then such private citizen LL should consider anything could happen!!

    Being an unencumbered LL is just about viable if long eviction periods can be sustained.

    For leveraged LL of any LTV percentage quite frankly the business model is no longer viable.
    Time for leveraged LL to get out of Dodge!
    The Govt has no plan for the millions of removed tenants from these BTL properties.
    I do believe they seriously consider that all these homeless tenants will magically buy up all these ex-rental properties and that also magically FTB will suddenly be able to afford these properties!!!!

     
  • jeremy clarke

    So, this woman is a failed politician, lost her opportunity to become an MP in that well known liebor stronghold of Cornwall yet she's still banging on somewhere in the background trying to ruin those who work hard at the expense of the feckless and lazy. If she gets her way and the feckless & lazy win then maybe she will become an MP? Until then she is just another lefty rebel shouting loud and promoting crap!

  • Matthew Payne

    There is no need to extend the eviction ban again, none of the current backlog are going to be heard for several months as it is, and for many it could be a year or so depending on the detail. I understand cases are to be heard will be prioritised based on largest debt for landlords and greatest vulnerability for tenants. Submission date has gone out the window.

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