Islington Council’s united front against government's housing benefits cuts

Published: 30 July, 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

HOUSING chief James Murray has united both sides of the council in opposition to the coalition government’s housing benefits cuts.

The Labour councillor’s passionate speech in defence of housing benefits convinced Lib Dems to defy their party nationally and join a campaign against the cuts. 

Although Labour and the Lib Dems clashed at a special budget meeting on Tuesday, the animosity abated slightly when Cllr Murray called for the council to be the first in the country to sign up to a campaign against the coalition government’s housing benefits cap.

His amendment called on the executive to publicise its support for this and other campaigns “to protect Islington’s services and their funding”.

Cllr Murray warned: “This will thrust hundreds of families into homelessness.”

Labour’s Jean Roger Kaseki – the first councillor of Congolese origin in the country – said: “As someone who lives in council housing, the  changes to benefit worry me greatly. The limits imposed will have serious effects on Islington.”

He added: “Those on housing benefits will be forced to move from their communities under new limits imposed by the Lib Dem-Tory government. 

“The effect on children will be a disaster. Children could be forced to move school, which will disturb their education or families could be forced to move into overcrowded housing, meaning children have no place to do homework and will be forced to make their own entertainment on the streets, where it isn’t safe.”

Lib Dem councillor Arthur Graves threw his support behind the amendment, saying: “This is a ridiculous cut by the government. I’ve already signed the petition.”

The amendment was passed unanimously.