Shock waves from Birmingham

by Alan Walter

The two-to-one vote by council tenants in Birmingham against privatisation 
of the city's housing stock has sent shock waves through government and 
local authorities, housing professionals and the banks.

They were all quick to dismiss the Dudley and Aylesbury No votes as one-
offs and now find it hard to explain why their 43 million pound budget to 
sell privatisation to Birmingham tenants failed so dramatically.

There were three crucial reasons why we won in Birmingham.

First, the campaign genuinely united council tenants, trade unionists and a 
number of councillors and MPs.

Second, it took the arguments out onto the estates and high streets, across 
the city, and explained the issues to tenants.

Third, there were funds to pay for leaflets, posters, stickers, a battle-
bus and other campaigning tools.

To the credit of the unions, they backed the tenants and their members -- a 
big difference to many unsuccessful campaigns which scraped around to pay 
for photocopying!

The Birmingham vote will give confidence to tenants and trade unionists 
around the country.

The decisive popular mandate will also help encourage councillors and MPs 
to come off the fence.

This increased confidence was apparent at the "Case for Council Housing" 
briefing organised by Defend Council Housing at Parliament last month, 
which involved 200 tenants and trade unionists representing dozens of 
organisations.

The list of MPs involved shows that the campaign is causing significant 
ripples through the back benches.

In Birmingham, the campaign is entering its second stage.

The government pledged 650 million to Birmingham as a bribe to encourage 
transfer of the housing stock (to the private sector).

Tenants are now demanding that this money is made available for direct 
investment in council homes.

The Labour group has joined the call, agreeing "to use all available 
measures to press the government to release the funds for council housing 
that would otherwise have been available through stock transfer".

At a national level, Defend Council Housing is looking to organise a 
massive lobby of Parliament when the Local Government Finance Bill is 
debated this autumn.

Two years ago, the spinning of the "end of council housing" began.

While some privatisations have been a walkover, this one is threatening to 
stick in the government's throat.

The pressure is mounting on Ministers to cut their losses and concede 
tenants' demands for investment in council housing with no strings 
attached.

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Morning Star, Britain's left socialist daily