Be informed

So the next attack by the Conservative Government on civil society is to outlaw squatting. Rather than outlaw empty properties at a time of housing shortages (at fair rents), the Government is proposing to spend more valuable parliamentary time to discuss further attacking civil liberties.

The house I live in is habitable now and functions as a co-operative because it was squatted. It was the subject of a compulsory purchase order a number of years ago for a road development that never happened. 14 years on the house and two more in the block provide housing for 12 people at affordable rents and empowers them to manage the properties – skilling members along the way.

Again, the property owning classes cannot countenance fair use of property. Better to have houses empty than be given an incentive to render them habitable. Greed. As for the Government, shameful.