from David Hobinson Council tenants in the Labour-controlled borough of Haringey held a most successful mass lobby at the oivic centre last Monday in protest against rent rises,(see The Week, June 8th, and July 6th.) By 7pm over 200 people had assembled outside the council chambers with banners reading: "Councillors fight the Government - not the tenants," "Rent Freeze - not Wage Freeze," and "Represent Tenants - not Profiteers," When the public gallery was opened the crowd had reached 400, Only 160 could be squeezed into the gallery - the remainder packed the foyer and overflowed into the street where they were addressed by members of the Haringey Tenants and Residents Federation over a loudspeaker. The Federation has collected over 5,000 signatures to a petition protesting against the rent increases - tenants face immediate rent rises of up to 12/6 a week followed, in many cases, by a similar increase next ‘January. When the meeting started the council had refused to receive either the petition or a deputation from the temants. However, the mobilisation of such determined opposition to the rent increases threw councillors into a state of confusion. It was not merely a demonstration staged by a few activists but a natural reaction by working people to what amounts to a real cut in their standard of living. Pensioners,students, young married couples and a large number of children were present throughout the evening. When the rents committee's report came to be discussed the council was forced to take vote after vote on whether to accept the petition, or a deputation or both; or whether to hold a special meeting to discuss the matter, An expression of disgust at their equivocation from a tenant in the gallery gave the Mayor the excuse to clear the public from the meeting, After this three councillors who have been supporting the tenants came out and reported on progress, or the lack of it inside the council chamber. Later representatives of the tenants association were called in and the suggestion made that there should be a special meeting of the rents committee next Monday followed by a special meeting of the full council to discuss the petition. This suggestion was also turned down but by this time the Labour whip was losing all semblance of control over his flock and by the last vote of the evening could muster less than a handful of "loyal" Labour councillors to his side. It was finally decided that a special open meeting of the rents committee would be held "within 14 to 21 days" which a deputation of tenants would be allowed to address, followed by a closed meeting of the same committee, Apparently the council is unused to the workings of democracy and after this vote wild accusations of a "Marxist plot" were made by certain councillors who also threatened to report the matter to the regional office, Those involved, both inside and outside the council, in this dastardly plot to support the working people of Haringey in their pursuit of a decent standard of living must be exposed/disciplined/suspended/ ran the argument. Council election will be held next year in Haringey and it is now up
members of local Labour parties to make sure that those councillors who insist on supporting the rent increases are not put up for re-election.