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| Merseyside anti-bedroom tax groups on the march |
It’s been a tense slog but after months of meetings and discussion: today, anti-bedroom tax groups across Merseyside met to conclusively set in place the Merseyside Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation.
The
federation is run by the members of local groups through a meeting of local
group-mandated, recallable delegates. Delegate meetings are open, but only group-mandated delegates can vote. A one group one vote system is in place. Organisations (trade unions, etc) are encouraged to affiliate and participate with/within their local anti-bedroom tax group.
Federation
delegates elected recallable officers to the following roles:
Chair
– Celia Ralph (Dingle Combat the Bedroom Tax)
Secretary
– Juliet Edgar (ReClaim Anti-Bedroom Tax Group)
Treasurer
– Andrea Wall (Stand Up In Halton)
Press
Officer – (Paul Jones, Dingle Combat the Bedroom Tax; Paul Cooke: ReClaim
Anti-Bedroom Tax Group)
On attempts to divide working class people:
"The Federation stands in solidarity with all those fighting the cuts to the welfare state, and against those who wish to divide us. We will brook no such attempts, on the grounds of race, religion, gender, status, or any other spurious grounds [to divide the working class]"
On
this basis, the Merseyside Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation have adopted the
following anti-oppression statement:
"The bedroom tax is an attack on the working class and affects people of all races, nationalities, genders and sexualities. In order to prevent people of colour (PoC), migrants, women, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) and people with disabilities (sensory, mental & physical) from being excluded, we cannot allow far right organisations like the EDL, BNP and the National Front, who act to threaten and discriminate against people on the basis of race, nationality, gender and sexuality, to gain a foothold in the movement.
- As a federation, we will not associate with racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise oppressive organisations and/or their members
- Racist, sexist, homophobic organisations and/or their members are not welcome at meetings, demonstrations or other events that the federation or its member groups have organised.
- The federation will not support or promote events or local groups that involve racist, sexist and homophobic organisations."
On fighting the bedroom tax:
The fight against the bedroom tax reaches a crucial stage over the next few months, as a bedroom tax eviction battle looms on Merseyside. With a federation in place and with continuing efforts to strengthen the movement, we've just taken a level-up in a rapidly escalating class war.
Next federation delegate meeting is Sat 1st of June.
combatbedroomtax@gmail.com
"The federation will fight these iniquitous cuts, starting with the bedroom tax, by any means necessary. This may include a non-payment campaign and direct actions: it is better to break the law than to break the poor."(The above is a composite of the Merseyside Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation founding motion & anti-oppression statement. Fully amended copies of the motion will be made available during the week.)
The fight against the bedroom tax reaches a crucial stage over the next few months, as a bedroom tax eviction battle looms on Merseyside. With a federation in place and with continuing efforts to strengthen the movement, we've just taken a level-up in a rapidly escalating class war.
Next federation delegate meeting is Sat 1st of June.
combatbedroomtax@gmail.com
