GMB Protest, 14th February, over Haringey Council giving £2bn council property to private developer
GMB protest on Tuesday 14th February over Haringey Council giving £2 billion of Council property to private developers.
The Haringey Development Vehicle will not build one council house and will hand over the whole current stock to private enterprise says GMB London.
GMB, along with other unions and the local community will hold a march and rally on Tuesday 14th February to stop Haringey Council giving £2bn of council property, including council houses, libraries, parks, health centres, community centres, shops and schools to private developers.
Lendlease, an Australian property and infrastructure group, is the preferred bidder, with whom Haringey Council will establish the joint venture. The Haringey Development Vehicle will be a 50/50 partnership and will take over council property and land in Wood Green, Tottenham, Hornsey and Muswell Hill.
The march will assemble at 5.00pm on Ducketts Common, Wood Green with the rally starting at 6.00pm at Haringey Civic Centre, 255 High Road, Wood Green, N22 8LE. The full cabinet meeting, where the approval of the preferred bidder will be given, starts at 6.30pm at the Civic Centre.
GMB have written to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of London and MP’s Catherine West and David Lammy to express concern around the privatisation of Haringey’s estates and buildings. [See notes to editors for copy of the letter sent to the Mayor of London]
Warren Kenny, GMB London region secretary, said
"GMB London are concerned around the reckless privatisation pursued by Haringey Council's leadership. The proposed Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) will see over £2 billion of public assets transferred into private ownership within just the first phase. There has been no guarantee around residents being able to return on secure tenancies at council rents."
"The current leadership of Haringey Council are ignoring their respective CLP's, who have both passed motions against the formation of the HDV."
"GMB members living and working in Haringey are rightly outraged by the HDV. GMB urges you to join in supporting us in urging the Haringey leadership to pause and reconsider their actions."
"GMB is concerned like the rest of the Labour movement about the lack of coherent policy to build council housing. No development vehicle yet has been successful. The HDV will not build one council house and will hand over the whole current stock to private enterprise."
End
Contact: Vaughan West on 07711 613692
Notes to editors:
1) Estates under threat include Northumberland Park and Broadwater Farm
2) Copy of letter sent by GMB to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London; Catherine West, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green; David Lammy, MP for Tottenham; Joanne McCartney, Deputy Mayor for London and Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey and 8 GMB Haringey Councillors
We are writing to you to express our concern around the reckless privatisation pursued by Haringey Council's leadership. The proposed Haringey Development Vehicle will see over £2 billion of public assets transferred into private ownership within just the first phase. There has been no guarantee around residents being able to return on secure tenancies at council rents.
The current leadership of Haringey Council are ignoring their respective CLP's, who have both passed motions against the formation of the HDV. They also appear to be ignoring the scrutiny report produced by Haringey Council and appear to have pre-empted the 14th of February cabinet meeting, where they were due to both discuss the report and announce the preferred bidder, as they have already announced that their preferred bidder is Lend Lease.
GMB were at the forefront of campaigning against blacklisting, which destroyed thousands of construction workers lives and livelihoods. However, the Labour leadership of Haringey appear to find it appropriate to choose a blacklister as their preferred partner in the HDV. GMB believes this to be a betrayal of Labour values.
Outside of the details of the disastrous HDV, which is both practically and ideologically flawed, the GMB has concerns on the political impact for the Labour Party in Haringey and London. This subject is splitting the leadership of Haringey from the members of the local parties and other Labour councillors and it is creating an opening for a resurgent Liberal Democrat Party in the west of the borough. The leader of Haringey has already produced a letter from the Mayor that she believes endorses the HDV. The letter on careful reading does not endorse the HDV in its current form and the HDV does not meet the Mayor's principles for estate regeneration.
GMB members living and working in Haringey are rightly outraged by the HDV. GMB urges you to join in supporting us in urging the Haringey leadership to pause and reconsider their actions. GMB request you write to the leader of Haringey and invites you attend the rally on the 14th of February outside Haringey Civic Centre at 6.00pm, with GMB members, other trade unions and the local community.
GMB is concerned like the rest of the Labour movement about the lack of coherent policy to build council housing. No development vehicle yet has been successful. The HDV will not build one council house and will hand over the whole current stock to private enterprise.
Yours fraternally
Warren Kenny, London Regional Secretary
Vaughan West, GMB Organiser
