Public Meetings

I've just got back from a meeting at the Town Hall about stopping the auctioning off of council flats. I'm in no mood to post about it to be honest but if I don't I never will. All the things this holiday I could've posted about - the plumbing going haywire bonkers, the squatters party my son and I went to, my son's first tooth being pulled out by the dentist, my son learning how to tie laces in just half an hour after I mistakenly bought him lace up trainers after he'd been sludging around in the rain with a hole in his old velcro ones. I may go back and blog about some of it but I'm often too zonked in the evenings. I put my son to bed and just flop.

Anyway, the public meeting. It was good! I've never been to one as they're in the evenings and my son's always got school the next day, but tonight I thought bugger it and bless my boy, he was stirling and not a whimper or tantrum as I put him to bed a few minutes ago.

Frank Dobbie Dobson was there, MP fighting the corner for the tenants and non tenants like me. A member, or a few members of Unison were there, the public service trade union.

Dobbie said what I think; that the flats sold off are the most attractive leaving people on the waiting list placed in 'less popular run down blocks'. Said it was 'a daft idea' selling off flats when the market is going down, that concerning the cuts in public expenditure, the situation was 'to start investing not disinvesting." He said "I take sell offs very personally. Very, very personally." Me too Dobbie.

He said we have to fight. "If we don't put up a fight we will certainly lose. If we do put up a fight we might win. But we won't win if we're all slinging bricks at eachother."

Big applause.

Unison were very good at pointing out that Camden is "one of the richest places in the world". I learnt of massive building programmes of social housing in the 1930's and just after the war in 1949. "Did we have more money then?" It was a rhetorical question of course. The government will bail out the banks but not the people.

My son stole my pen after that. Can't blame him really, six years old in a public meeting and all he bought with him was a Darth Vadar cariacature and a small model car. So my notes suddenly read:

"I love you mummy loveley beauteful pritty mummy!!!"

They opened out questions to the 'tenants'. There was a lot of anger about the privatisation of caretakers. (I never do post about my caretaker - the Good Man - do I?) A few people were representing homeless people. I wanted to feel fired up by the fury in the room but all I felt was sick. So what did I do? I stuck my hand up to say something. The man didn't see, so my son stuck my hand up to say something. In a daze I said:

"I have just a couple of thoughts. The first thought is that earlier this month the council auctioned off a house, kitted out as a hostel, the day after St Mungo's released research saying street homelessness has increased by 15%." I heard murmers of support. "My second thought is that PRS actually stands for Private Rental Scam because it allows the Government and local councils to say they have reduced homelessness when this isn't true." People clapped. I forgot to thank them. I wish I'd added "they've made it worse." Still, I spoke. Better than actually being one of the voiceless no? It's just lots of us voiceless are too scared to speak. Though not the mother opposite me, also with her young son, who said she was in a hostel, being bounced from one to another. My son had asked if this Council Chamber was the Chamber of Secrets as we walked in and I'd said "Yes it is." Best not to know stories like that mother's and mine.

Dobbie said he would take tenants to see the new housing minister - John Healey. Afterwards I went up to him to ask him if I could go along. He greeted me like an old friend, which served to remind me that he is a politician and he's probably like that with everyone. He said Healey only wanted "5 or 6 people" at most. "You could have some tenants and a non tenant like me!" I said, but nah.

Well, this post is long enough. It's been a long day. But at least now I can have a bath!! Yesterday my kitchen sink got blocked so I plunged it only to hear my son wail: "Mummy, the bath's filling up with water." Bilge more like but Lady Luck was on my side. The landlady had rung me that morning, so after that, I rang her back. Plumber was here this afternoon, he's coming back in the morning. I will blog it, but don't hold your breath. It's the holidays! I'm out enjoying myself with my boy before he goes away. How I love him, how I do.