Unite the union is supporting a week of action across the capital designed to stop the further destruction of London's council housing stock.

With housing now the third most important issue for voters in London, yet housing insecurity growing, Unite will help roll out events across the city, which began on Saturday 14 February, with the aim of blocking Boris Johnson's budget.

City Hall will vote on the London mayor's budget on 23 February, but Unite believes 'Boris' budget' will mean further rent-hikes and more sell-offs of council housing and vast tracts of public land.


Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary with responsibility for community, said: "The situation for ordinary Londoners is getting desperate. Politicians need to wake up to the crisis that they are creating – truly affordable homes for London's workers are being destroyed by a mayor that goes globe-trotting to flog our capital to the highest overseas bidder.

"Social housing and swathes of public land are being sold off to private developers who have not one iota of interest in providing affordable and sustainable homes for people.

"The £1.8bn at the mayor's disposal for affordable housing over his term in office means there is plenty in the housing pot to ensure that London is making homes for people not for profit."

(CD/JP)