BRITAIN’S biggest union threw its weight behind housing activists fighting Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson’s plans to obliterate low-rent housing yesterday.

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner branded the situation in London “desperate” as the stock of affordable homes remains at a standstill despite massive demand.

Activists fear that Mr Johnson’s draft budget will pave the way for rent rises, housing sell-offs and the sale of “vast tracts” of public land.

But a week of action co-ordinated by the Radical Housing Network aims to sound the alarm — culminating in a mass protest on Monday February 23 when his £1.8 billion spending plans will face an assembly vote.

Mr Turner accused the mayor of betraying Londoners in favour of wealthy investors planning luxury projects.

“Social housing and swathes of public land are being sold off to private developers who have not one iota of interest in providing affordable and sustainable homes for people,” he said.

This weekend will see Lambeth activists holding “love council housing” stalls around the borough.

Other events will take place in Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and West Hendon.

Mr Turner said: “We call on Londoners to send a message to this mayor that we will not be forced out of our homes on a tide of greed which will blight this city for generations to come.”

Full details of this week’s events and the February 23 demo are available at radicalhousingnetwork.org.
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