March to defeat the bedroom tax on Saturday

“I can’t afford to pay this, and I’ll not be moving either. We’ve spent years building a home but they don’t want us to have nice homes – they want us to live in rabbit hutches”. “We fought to get a three bedroom house because we have two young children, a girl and a boy. Now because of their age we are told that we have to pay for an extra bedroom.”

These comments from a public meeting against the Bedroom Tax in Paisley sum-up the raging anger against this austerity tax.

The Socialist Party have taken the lead in organising meetings in housing schemes in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Renfrewshire. We have taken the approach of calling these meetings to offer practical support and advice to people who want to fight but are unsure as to how to.

The bedroom tax is the latest in a long line of cuts that have affected the working class across Scotland. People are angry, even if they aren’t affected directly, because they can feel the misery being inflicted by endless austerity, and have decided that this is a cut too far. Many see this as a poll tax moment, but the bedroom tax is, for many, far more callous.

We know that people need housing benefit because they can’t afford to pay rents that are rising faster than inflation every year.

We know that there is not an adequate supply of one bedroom homes for people to move to. We also know that it is incredible cruelty to take £53 million out of the pockets of the poorest in Scotland  and more across the UK, to pay for the austerity programme of the government. How can it be fair to rob  £40-plus a month plus from someone who needs an extra bedroom for their kids to come to stay at the weekend ?

The SNP could stop evictions but are unwilling to commit, saying won’t for independence in 2016.  The understanding at public meeting after public meeting was clear, none of the major parties were willing to take a stand against this tax and that the working class will have to stand up for themselves.

There are recollections at public meetings of the fight against the poll tax, with people calling for solidarity in defence of their neighbours. People were in a fighting spirit with a pledge to hold further meetings and really build this campaign.

People need to be organising in their communities. We have to build up anti-bedroom tax groups and unite them in federations to provide support for people who can’t pay this tax.

We have to be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with our neighbours who may face eviction later down the line, simply because  of lack of decent social housing.

Come to the demonstrations on Saturday

Glasgow

Assemble 11.30am, Glasgow Green. March to George Square

Edinburgh

Assemble 12 noon St Andrews Square. March to Scottish parliament

We say:

• Scrap the bedroom tax
• Build support for anyone who cannot or will not pay
• Establish a united network of anti-bedroom tax groups in all areas
• Council, Housing Associations must refuse to evict any tenants that fall into rent arrears as a result of the tax
• Scottish government must change the law to end evictions for Bedroom Tax debt
• Write off all debt due to Bedroom Tax. Demand compensation for councils and Housing Associations as part of a mass campaign to win back the money stolen from public services by the ConDems
• Stop the cuts and austerity.  Make the rich and big business pay for the economic mess – not ordinary people
• For a major programme of council house building to provide affordable homes for all
• Trade unions must build a 24-hour general strike against cuts and austerity