SSP Campsie: housing

Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 June 2007

DEFEND COUNCIL HOUSING

DEFEND OUR HOUSING!

click on map to go to website.

Friday, 18 May 2007

WILLIE TELFER MAKES BIG IMPACT AT PCS CONFERENCE

Scottish Socialist Party members who are delegates to this week’s PCS national conference in Brighton have made a huge impact.
They’re speaking on issues like privatisation, and are moving a major motion to commit the union to an £8-an-hour minimum wage for all workers and trainees over 16.
Colin Fox, the Scottish Socialist Party’s national convener, was a guest speaker at the Department of Transport PCS group conference on our case for free public transport - which was then debated and agreed as policy, moved by Campsie Branch SSP member, and Twechar Housing campaigner, Willie Telfer and supported by the union’s Group Executive Committee.

Willie has also been re-elected as UK-wide Assistant Group Secretary of the union in the transport section.
Meantime longstanding socialist and SSP member John Jamieson has been elected to the PCS national executive committee, as part of an almost total clean sweep for the Democracy Alliance of socialists and democrats.
And our efforts are not restricted to the PCS. At the Fire Brigades Union national conference Scottish Socialist Party members were at the heart of a solidarity collection for the Sunvic strikers, raising £1,500 to help sustain their battle against vicious treatment by scab-hiring bosses.
And in a debate around the FBU and political links, during which a motion to re-affiliate the union to New Labour was overwhelmingly defeated, SSP member Jimmy Scott successfully moved an amendment which re-stated the FBU’s commitment to “a socialist form of society”, a longstanding FBU rule-book clause which collides with New Labour’s whole philosophy and practice.

Tuesday, 24 April 2007

People Power on Twechar Beach...

Over sixty Twechar residents invaded Twechar Beach and then attended the public meeting on the Twechar “Regeneration” project.

The meeting was a real success for people power in the village. Pamela Page Chaired and said this meeting was not about her coming along to turn it into a political meeting. People knew the SSP record in the area and how they had helped in various campaigns in Twechar and beyond. She said this meeting was about what people wanted done about the issue of good quality, affordable houses in their village.

Willie Telfer, the SSP Council Candidate for the area reminded people how over the years, local government seemingly more concerned with the middle class voters in Milngavie and Bearsden, had let the village down. He also reminded them of the times over the past 25 years when the people of the village had to pull together and fight aggressive policies thrown at the village by Westminster and by Tom Johnston House, from the decimation of their local coal industry, to the campaign to keep the community centre in the community.

He reminded them of how Jack McConnell had cut the ribbon on the new, village run centre the Labour / Lib Dem Council tried to close and do away with.

They were reminded that it was not the Labour Party or any other outside force that had won their battles with the bus companies – it was them. It was the people of Twechar.

Willie also made two further election promises.

He promised that if the people of Kirkintilloch East and Twechar returned him as one of the three Councillors, within a few weeks he would have chapped on every door in the ward. He said that if people wanted to slam the door on his face, then that was their right. But he said if people wanted to invite him in and give him scones and tea, he would sit with them and unlike the other parties with their meaningless surveys he would ask, “What do you want for your community?” And then he would fight tooth and nail to get what the community see as their priorities. His second promise was that if he WASN’T elected, he would ensure the Housing Campaign would be up and running, and not ran by the SSP – but by the people of the village.

Willie has not waited until election defeat. Already volunteers have come forward from the more than sixty people present to say they are willing to help organise the campaign.

Andy Locke, the SSP Housing Spokesperson is setting up a surgery for after the election at which people can question him on their housing issues. The first of these will be held at 11am on Saturday 5th May – two days after the election. The SSP are committed to helping this campaign and the people of Twechar regardless of the outcome of the election.

Anyone wishing to help the campaign should come along to a meeting on Tuesday 8th May at 7.30pm in the Miners Welfare.

Remember – this campaign can have a voice in Holyrood and East Dunbartonshire Council – Vote Pamela Page and Vote Willie Telfer!

Sunday, 22 April 2007

INVADE TWECHAR BEACH!

Twechar SSPCouncillor candidate, Willie Telfer has vowed to fight the council on the beaches -Twechar beach. The council houses beside the infamous Twechar beach are due to be demolished. Willie said, 'When this scheme was announced, we thought there would be great new houses for everyone. It turns out the council figures may mean some families camping on Twechar beach, because they are not building enough!'

He went on, 'They plan to demolish over 200 council houses and only rebuild 80 for renting. Another 40 will bepartly sold off to the private sector. This will result in more expensive rents, - an immediate rise of 10% and the scrapping of the two weeks free rent in March and at Christmas. There will be no guaranteed future rent caps, even though every other scheme like this over the past few years in other areas across Scotland have had this promise. A quick look at the sums shows that some local people will be forced to move out of the area. This is not a housing solution to suit the people of Twechar. It is being forced on us without a ballot. Why is the council scared to let people have their say? They are scared we would insist on a better solution to our local housing needs. I am wanting the people of Twechar to come to a public meeting on Tuesday 24th April to voice their concerns about this. This is a Dunkirk like siege. Poor people are being attacked by the local authority and by the developers. The people of Twechar will fight 'em on the beaches!'

The invasion will take place at 7pm and will be followed by a Public Meeting at 7.30pm in Twechar Miner's Welfare Club.

Speakers: Frances Curran MSP; Willie Telfer, SSP Council Candidate; Pamela Page, SSP Scottish Parliamentary candidate for the West of Scotland; Andy Locke, Housing issues expert.