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Dear prime minister...

13 May 2008

The Defend Council Housing campaign has published a new 40-page pamphlet to put the case to the prime minister to invest in council homes.

Called Dear Gordon 2, it has a foreword by Austin Mitchell MP in the form of an open letter to Gordon Brown.

Last year DCH published its first Dear Gordon document when he was still the chancellor. The new publication updates the arguments in light of the current crisis and the government's failure to heed the demands made by tenants, trade unions, councillors and MPs – and three consecutive Labour Party conferences.

In June last year, Brown promised three million new homes. But the housing and regeneration bill currently going through parliament shows he's relying on the private sector to do the job, and it has never delivered the decent, affordable, secure housing that people need.

Now, the market is in crisis with the so called ‘credit crunch’, negative equity and rising repossessions, new developments mothballed and buy to let homes left empty.

DCH chair Alan Walter said: “This pamphlet shows we've got the arguments and there's strong support for first class council housing today. It's time the government dropped the dogma and listened. The 'Fourth Option' of direct investment in council housing has strong support and makes both economic and political sense.”

Trade unions, branches, tenants groups and councils are urged to order copies of the pamphlet and help distribute them to step up the pressure on ministers.

For more information and to download or order copies of Dear Gordon 2, visit the Defend Council Housing website.
 

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