CAMPAIGNERS sang the Red Flag as senior Haringey councillors reaffirmed their decision to approve a £2 billion “social cleansing” project that residents fear will push them out of their homes.

A special meeting of the north London council’s cabinet was held on Thursday night to reconsider plans that would see billions of pounds’ worth of housing stock handed over to privateers Lendlease.

The housing project — called the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) — will be the largest transfer of council land, homes and commercial property ever undertaken in Britain.

Under the HDV, public assets will transfer to a joint venture in which the council will have only a 50 per cent stake.

Existing homes are to be demolished with 6,500 new homes built in their place. However campaigners warn that existing tenants will not have an automatic right to return because there is no commitment over social housing numbers.

Campaigners’ fears also stem from Lendlease’s notorious regeneration of the Heygate estate in Elephant and Castle which saw nearly 1,200 social homes bulldozed and replaced with just 82.

Thousands have joined demonstrations against the HDV which is also opposed by Labour MPs David Lammy and Catherine West.

The council’s own scrutiny committee have also previously called for the plans to be halted.

Councillor Alan Strickland refused to give figures at Thursday’s meeting for new social housing units until the estate master-plan has been finalised.

And he blamed the coalition government for scrapping the “social rent project,” claiming it was now a thing of the past.

His comments were met with anger from the public gallery with a chorus of the international labour movement song the Red Flag, emphasising the line “where cowards flinch and traitors sneer…”

Confusion remains over reports saying that the council are set to gift Tottenham Hotspur Football Club around £30.5 million for a new stadium development in the borough.

Both parties are denying the suggestions. But tenants, residents and football fans remain up in arms as they claim that an auditors’ presentation to the council indicated the club — one of the richest in the world — had requested the bumper payout.

Secretary of Haringey Defend Council Housing said: “This is social cleansing hiding in plain sight.”

Campaigners have vowed to fight on and suggest that the plans can still be stopped as they seek a judicial review.