'Fourth Option' - investment to improve existing and build a new generation of first class council housing

Step up the pressure - help shift government policy
URGENT FINANCIAL APPEAL
DCH urgently needs funds to continue to make the case for the 'Fourth Option'. Please send a donation. affiliate and pay for campaign material.
The penny has finally dropped. Candidates in the Labour Leadership election and the national press are realising that investment in council housing would be a popular and effective strategy to tackle the current housing crisis (Press Archive).

Download new DCH twelve page newspaper and get your organisation to order copies (£18 per 100 / £100 per 1000).

Pass a motion supporting the 'Fourth Option' based on the three points below and raise at all Labour Party leadership hustings, union conferences, tenants meetings, housing conferences and other events. Help/support DCH at various conferences in June/July - see list below.

We now need concrete proposals to back up the positive soundbites - a 'Fourth Option' to:
  1. Enable local authorities to improve all existing council homes and estates
  2. Allow local authorities to start a new council house building programme
  3. Ensure that local authorities have sufficient revenue to maintain all council homes in future years
Defend Council Housing has posted a 'Fourth Option' for council housing
e-petition on the Downing Street website.
Please forward on this email to help collect signatures
Labour Party conference in September 2006 agreed "...Conference re-affirms the decisions of the 2004 and 2005 party conferences and our commitment to a 'Level playing field'. This should include ring-fencing all the income from tenants rents, capital receipts as well as equal treatment on debt write off and gap funding available to councils who transfer their homes to give tenants real choice and provide a long term future for council housing. Conference again calls on government to provide the 'fourth option' of direct investment to council housing as a matter of urgency" (Composite 10)
Please support the campaign:
  1. Affiliate & donate - DCH needs urgent financial help
  2. Submit motions supporting the 'Fourth Option' -use three points above and get in touch to discuss wording
  3. Help campaign against any stock transfer, PFI or ALMO proposals in your area
  4. Organise a delegation of tenants, councillors and trade unionists to attend the DCH national conference on July 12
  5. Order and distribute campaign material in your organisation and area (new DCH newspaper and 'Case for Council Housing in 21st Century Britain' pamphlet)
  6. Sign the e-petition and encourage others to sign too
  7. Ask your MP to sign EDM 136 Funding Decent Council Housing and join the Council Housing group of MPs at Parliament
  8. Put DCH's Ten Questions to all candidates in the Labour leadership election
  9. Distribute campaign material at tenants and union conferences and other events (email to get material posted to you)
  10. Organise a Stand Up For Council Housing public meeting in your area with a broad platform to support the demand for the 'Fourth Option'
DCH national conference, July 12 at TUC Congress House, London
The conferences comes at a crucial time and presents a real opportunity for tenants, trade unionists and councillors to sharpen our arguments and bring the campaign to a successful conclusion. Download conference Flyer & Programme, circulate locally and organise a delegation of tenants, trade unionists and councillors from your area to attend. Propose to your council that they sponsor the delegation - they always say they want tenants to be well informed and regularly fund tenants to attend other 'similar' events (individual tenants £5; sponsored tenants, trade unionists, councillors, etc £20)
DCH fringe meetings, stalls and leafleting
Come and help DCH campaign at a range of events and conferences over the next few weeks - email if you are attending any of the following events and could help.
CWU Conference June 3: DCH Fringe meeting, Brighton Pavilion with Dave Ward (CWU), Tony Kearns (CWU), Allan Eldred (CWU) and and Alan Walter (DCH)
GMB Conference June 5: DCH Fringe meeting, Brighton Conf Centre with Brian Strutton (GMB), Nick Brown MP and Alan Walter (DCH)
Compass Conference June 9: DCH Fringe meeting (speakers to be announced), Central Hall Westminster - see below
Morning Star Conference June 16: Mabledon Place, London WC1
UNISON Conference June 18: DCH Fringe meeting, Belgrave Hotel with Heather Wakefield (UNISON), Jean Geldart (UNISON) and Alan Walter (DCH)
Amicus Policy Conference June 19/20: DCH Fringe meeting, Bournemouth Int Conf Centre with Gail Cartmail (Amicus) and Alan Walter (DCH)
T&G Conference July 2: DCH Fringe meeting, Belgrave Hotel with Jack Dromey (T&G), Jon Cruddas MP and Alan Walter (DCH)
Local Government Assoc Conference July 4: DCH Fringe Meeting, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Birmingham with Austin Mitchell MP, Paul Holmes MP, Jack Dromey (T&G) and Alan Walter (DCH)
Marxism2007 July 5-9: DCH stall and discussion, Central London (see below)
Further information from www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk


The Compass National & Robin Cook Memorial Conference 2007 Saturday 9 June 2007 • Central Hall Westminster, London
This is the biggest independent gathering of progressives in the UK, the annual event where those attending actually get to help shape the agenda and speak out on and debate the things you believe passionately about like: climate change; well-being; fighting global poverty; equality; democracy and building a better world for all.

This year’s event held in association with UNISON, The Guardian and New Statesman takes place immediately after the G8 summit in Germany and in the midst of Labour’s leadership elections and will include over 1500 people in attendance and 70 major speakers including: Ken Livingstone; Dave Prentis; Jon Cruddas; Frances O'Grady; Jon Trickett; Neal Lawson; Helena Kennedy; Peter Hain; David Held; Harriet Harman; Shami Chakrabarti; Dawn Butler; John Harris; Emily Thornberry; Keith Sonnet; Murad Qureshi; Claire Fox; Miranda Grell; Paul Mason; Helen Goodman; Pam Giddy; Hilary Wainwright; David Aaronovitch; Sukhvinder Stubbs; Mark Seddon; Tony Benn; John McDonnell; Nick Pearce; Tony Breslin; Kate Hudson; Catherine Fieschi; Angela Eagle; Gemma Tumelty; Sue Palmer; Sami Ramadani; Antonio Miranda; Colin Burgon; Franisco Dominguez; Hugh O'Shaughnessy; Katinka Barysch; David Goodhart; Roger Liddle; Vicky Pryce; Owen Tudor; Derek Draper; Neil Jameson; Catherine Howarth; Deborah Littman; Julie Camacho; Ahmad Amir Ali; Louise Bamfield; Collins Magalasi; Simon Dubbins; Tim Horton; Gibril Faal; Nic Marks who’ll be joined by a broad-range of ministers, MPs, trade unionists, commentators and leading figures from across the democratic left and the wider progressive community.

With over 45 different breakouts and fringe events organised by the leading NGOs, pressure groups, publications and think tank organisations to include amongst others: POWER, Unison; New Policy Institute; Barrow Cadbury Trust; Foreign Policy Centre; CRE; TULO; Friends of the Earth; SERA; Demos; nef (new economics foundation); Searchlight; War on Want; Citizenship Foundation; Liberty; CND; Red Pepper; NUS; Action Aid; Young Foundation; New Statesman; Unions 21; NLGN; Tribune; Centre for European Reform; Venezuela Information Centre; Renewal; Public World; The Fabian Society; Campaign for Therapy; The Fawcett Society; IPPR; T&G; NUT; CORE; Compass Youth; Labour Left Briefing; Citizen Organising Foundation; London Citizens; African Foundation for Development; LabOUR Commission; The Co-Operative Party; Defend Council Housing. Held in association with UNISON; The Guardian and New Statesman the issue at this year’s much anticipated event is not whether we globalise but how? Technology makes globalisation inevitable and provides a platform on which we can make the whole planet, and not just the Western world, more equal, democratic and sustainable.

Book your place today: the conference is open to anyone to attend, to find out more about the event and our breakout session please visit the conference website at www.compassonline.org.uk/conference, or call 020 7463 0633 for a booking form, or print off PDF form.

…debate the future of the planet at the compass conference this summer


Compass - direction for the democratic left. Southbank House, Black Prince Road, London SE1 7SJ T: +44 (0) 207 463 0633 gavin@compassonline.org.uk www.compassonline.org.uk


Around the world, millions are marching against war and resisting the plunder of neo-liberalism. In Britain thousands are struggling to hold on to our basic right to education, housing, health care and pensions. Everywhere people ask, how do we make our voices heard?

At Marxism 2007 you can join with thousands of people including campaigners, writers and trade unionists to discuss what's happening in the world and debate our alternatives to global capitalism, war and injustice. Marxism 2007 features 200 forums on everything from imperialism and climate change to Latin America and revolution today, alongside film screenings, theatre, gigs and exhibitions.

Highlights Include: Billy Bragg & Martin Smith discuss the fight against the BNP; Nick Broomfield discusses his films and the making of Ghosts; Paul Gilroy & Weyman Bennett ask, why is multiculturalism in crisis?; George Galloway & John Rees ask, what next for Respect?; Soweto Kinch headlines a Cultures of Resistance gig; Jill Liddington introduces her book Rebel Girls: Their Fight for the Vote; Lemn Sissay & Michael Rosen perform poetry of liberation; Trevor Ngwane & Mani Tanoh discuss the struggle for liberation in Africa; Billy Hayes looks at the shape of the working class today; Tony Benn on the left in power – problems and possibilities; Katrina to Obama: Gary Younge on Black leadership after the civil rights era; Drew McConnell of Babyshambles pays tribute to punk; Mark Serwotka, John McDonnell, Matt Wrack & Jane Loftus on building fighting unions; Radical philosopher Slavoj Zizek on the limits of liberalism; Lindsey German launches her book Material Girls: Women, Men and Work; Claudia Webbe & Dean Ryan discuss gun crime – who is to blame?; Michael Billington, Tom Stoppard, David Edgar & Charlotte Westenra discuss theatre today; Moazzam Begg talks about Guantanamo and the War on Terror; David Harvey & Chris Harman ask why did capitalism go neoliberal?; Steve Bell, Martin Rowson, Ralph Steadman, Leon Kuhn & Tim Sanders feature in the Oh What a Horrible War exhibition; Egyptian MP Hamdeen Sabahi on the fight for liberation in the Middle East.

phone 0207 819 1190 website www.marxismfestival.org.uk email bookings@marxismfestival.org.uk

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Organise a broad delegation of tenants, trade unionists and councillors to the DCH National Conference on July 12 at TUC Congress House, London. Help shape the future of council housing!

Sign the 'Fourth Option' for council housing
e-petition on the Downing Street website;

Ask your MP to sign EDM 136 Funding Decent Council Housing

Bulk order copies of the latest DCH newspaper to distribute to tenants, trade unionists and councillors in your area (£18 per 100 / £100 per 1000);

Tenants say Stand Up For Council Housing

Raise DCH's 'Ten Questions to Candidates'

Affiliate & donate to DCH

DCH PO Box 33519, London E2 9WW tel 0207 987 9989