Treatment Of Critics Of Council House Privatisation

EDM number 797 in 2005-06, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 19/10/2005.

That this House condemns the blatant attempt to victimise leading members of Defend Council Housing currently being made by councils in a crude attempt to discourage opposition to the privatisation of council housing, and instances as part of this vindictive campaign the disciplinary action being taken by Sefton Council against UNISON branch officers Nigel Flanagan and Paul Summers, and the decision by Tower Hamlets Council to deselect UNISON/NUJ member Eileen Short from the post she has held for 14 years; and calls on both local authorities to withdraw such disciplinary actions and redeployments immediately, and to respect the democratic rights of union members and activists to campaign against privatisation and in support of the `fourth option' for council housing, which was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Labour Party Conference.

This motion has been signed by a total of 64 MPs.