Homes.

 

         More relevant today than ever, the struggle for affordable homes, with the economic plundering of the public by the Sunak/Hunt duo of financial market appeasers, we are facing higher rents, higher mortgages, more evictions and homelessness. Though this book was first published in 1992, it is the same struggle that the ordinary people have faced all their lives. I hope you can get along and join this struggle for decent, affordable and secure homes for all.

THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2022 FROM 18:00-20:00

'Sell and Be Damned' - Book Launch
John Smith House

Event by Jim MacKay and Anni Donaldson

John Smith House

Duration: 2 hr

Public · Anyone on or off Facebook

          Join us to celebrate the publication of the new 2022 edition of ‘Sell and be damned – The Glasgow Merrylee Housing Scandal of 1951’ As Told By Ned Donaldson and Les Forster.
         Originally published in 1992, the book then marked the 40th anniversary of the successful protest campaign aimed at ending Glasgow Corporation’s plan to sell newly built council houses in Merrylee. This new, expanded edition marks the 30th anniversary of its original publication and the 70th anniversary of the protest itself – an important chapter in Glasgow’s history of housing activism. Copies of the book will be on sale on the night (£5.00 cash only) - proceeds from sales will be donated to Living Rent. 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

Angry Time!

 

          Glasgow folks are getting pissed off with the council, having watched them close so many amenities due to Covid are now being informed of a list of those that will not open again. Public libraries among some of those permanent closures. The well loved and much used People's Palace Winter Gardens, now has a shadow of permanent closure hanging over this gem of a Glasgow public owned asset. As myself and others have repeated on a regular basis, that all those billions of pounds paid to keep very rich corporate business with a tidy bank balance would have to be paid back by you and I in the form of austerity. The loss of public services and amenities is just the start, there will be a whole raft of measures to pay back the financial Mafia for that load the state borrowed to keep their corporate friends happy during the pandemic. You ain't seen nothing yet, cuts to education, NHS starved of proper funding, stricter control over benefits and cuts to social services, that will be there plan for starters. Of course we can sit back and moan to each other about hard things are, or we can get organised in our communities and work places, and take our anger and discontent on to the street. Together we can forge a new normal, a fairer society based on mutual aid and sustainability, freed from the poison that is the economy of profit and ever expanding consumption, a society that sees to the needs of all our people. That choice is up to us, don't expect the billionaire parasite class and their minders the state to do that for us. Let your righteous anger flood the streets and change the world we live in.
       Saturday afternoon, 5th. June, saw some of those angry Glasgow citizens form up in George Square to voice their determination to fight to hold onto all our public assets, public services and amenities, join them, our wall of anger, determined solidarity and organisation can push back that tide of austerity that is coming our way. 

Join them here;

 https://www.friendsofppwggg.org.uk/  

https://www.livingrent.org/contact_us

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Asset Strippers.

         Glasgow City council, like most city councils I suppose, has been merrily selling off public land to private developers. What this means is that the council, supposed caretakers of the citizens publicly owned assets, are in fact disposing of them to groups who will make a fortune from those asset. As this continues, we will reach a stage where there will be no public owned assets, other than those that can't make a profit. We the citizens will be lumber with costs but nothing of value, we will live in a privately owned city, where every step will cost you money. We have a housing crisis, we have homeless families and others living in inadequate housing while others are forced to live in ever increasing rented accommodation, stuffing the private landlord's coffers. We need all that publicly owned land, it is ours, we need it for social housing giving the citizens decent affordable accommodation. Private land developers are not philanthropists, you could call them asset strippers, they are out to make a fortune at our expense. Why let the council assist them in their plundering of the public purse.

Meeting Info:

 

 

         Living Rent have been battling to stop this site in Marhill which was once the site of council houses to stop its sale to private housing. We need our land to build council houses, not sold to rip-off landlords. We need reasonable rent council houses if not for our selves, for our young folk who have little enough to look forward to without just working to pay the rent. Wages going down rent going up! Time to stop the give away! It would be zero cost to the council to postpone the sale and listen to us.

Townhall Meeting For Maryhill

Invited speakers:
Bob Doris MSP, Cllr John Letford, Patrick Harvie MSP and candidate Keiran O'Neill are all confirmed as coming. Now is the time to make the community's view heard. Are you coming?
The Council spoke to just 69 people over 13 years to come up with their sell off plans for bought housing. Now is the time to show the community's real view and decide the site's future. Try to be there. 6:30pm, Tues 12th, meeting link at www.livingrent.org/collinastreet

Sign the petition:
https://www.livingrent.org/halt_the_sale_of_collina_street?fbclid=IwAR2Jc-fNLYznYA3a_J8AbenhXsvOIUIjLMsf1e4vS5-UCQeRJmQZ_Xz1wAQ

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk     

Cruel Vindictive Act.

      To be evicted from you home, is an inhuman act, but in Scotland in the winter, it is of vindictive act of cruelty. There is no way that a civilised society can stand by and see a fellow human being thrown on to the street, usually in the name of money and profit, and do nothing about it. It is encouraging to see that there is still some of that Red Clydeside running through the veins of the citizens of Glasgow.

      Monday 13th. December say a protest  in support of a fellow citizen who was being faced with eviction onto the cold miserable wet streets of Glasgow. Thanks to that support the eviction has been postponed. Again, solidarity is the weapon that wins struggles.

This report from Living Rent:

Living Rent Glasgow

 

 

Turn up, turn out, turn your landlord inside out!

        Great show of solidarity on Monday, 13th. December, for our member Philip, who is being threatened with eviction during this dreich Glesga winter. Thankfully it has been postponed to a formal Tribunal hearing on February 24th!
       Philip's case represents ANOTHER example of why a winter eviction break is needed in Scotland. A victim of an inadequate and faulty benefit system which has denied him the dignity he deserves, Philip's situation has been made even worse by his landlord, Southside Lettings, who has refused to fix the mould and damp in his flat.
       Phillip is facing a winter eviction in a city whose council recently and unanimously backed a motion endorsing Living Rent's campaign for a winter break on evictions. Clearly some of the city's landlords and letting agents are not taking the hint that this cruel practice should end now.
       However, with the backing of his tenants' union in collaboration with legal representatives, Phillip knows that he isn't facing his landlord alone.

Sign our petition for a Winter Break on evictions here: https://www.livingrent.org/winter_break

       Read more about Glasgow City Council's endorsement of a Winter Break here: https://glasgowguardian.co.uk/…/urgent-call-for-government…/

Visit ann arky's home at https:/radicalglasgow,me,uk

Peopele Of Glasgow Stand With Migrants.

 

       In city after city, in country after country that vulnerable group of human beings that are stripped of their rights, scapegoated and pushed to the margins, is an indictment against this callous capitalist system we live under. I am of course talking about migrants, an ever growing army of people fleeing everything from war, to persecution, from death, to deprivation, but in the eyes of any state, the crime they committed was they crossed those imaginary lines called borders. That somehow gives the state the right to herd them, ignore them, deprive them of all rights and persecute them. We cannot let this continue, they, like us, are human beings struggling to make a decent life for themselves and their families in a quagmire profit seeking big business, they need assistance, not persecution and exploitation. 

     I'm proud to see that the people of Glasgow are standing up and saying enough is enough, we will no longer tolerate this ideology of abusing those who through extremely difficult situations have had to flee their homeland, leaving their friends and neighbourhood, and cross those imaginary dividing lines, the state calls borders.

      Yesterday, August 20th, the people of Glasgow took their anger to the city chambers and loud and clear, let the powers that be know, that this callous and brutal treatment of migrants must stop and stop now.

Thanks Bob for the film.

Letter to the City Council:

       🔒🔒Today Living Rent "locked-in" Glasgow City Council with HUGE turnout of over 150 members and supporters from various groups across Glasgow!🔒🔒

      We've had enough. Serco is intent on making our friends and neighbours destitute in the search for profit and won't stop until all 300 locks are changed. It is time for Glasgow City Council to stop offering the people of Glasgow empty promises and feckless task forces. It is time for real action. We demand that the council:

        1. Set up an arrangement to provide emergency accommodation to all affected individuals, including those that have received a right to remain status. 2. For the council to make clear the timescale for providing an individual assessment of each person facing eviction.

      Their claim that they cannot legally provide accommodation is false. According to guidelines by COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), Glasgow City Council have "a duty to safeguard the most vulnerable people in these situations, in many cases this includes providing financial support to meet essential living costs and other help from social workers to avoid destitution."

       Everyone has the right to a decent and affordable home, irregardless of their supposed "status" and when those in search of profit go after those made most vulnerable, we are all in danger. As such, we are no longer going to stand for Glasgow City Council's inaction. We and thousands of Glaswegians are standing by ready to resist by any means necessary.

#NoEvictions #StopSercoEvictions #Lockoutserco

Read more here: https://www.livingrent.org/lock_in_council

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

Edinburgh Is ACE!!

        As usual, our friends in Edinburgh are busy, the hub of that activity being ACE. Here is the latest list from that hive of activity.

 ACE OPEN SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
        ACE is open tomorrow Saturday 1st September 1pm – 4pm. You will be able to access and borrow books from the Scottish Radical Library and also look at the Autonomous Archive of pamphlets, magazines, news-sheets and leaflets. Other ACE facilities will also be available including the Info Shop with books and pamphlets for sale and free leaflets, info on the grass-roots and revolutionary groups which meet in ACE and are active in Edinburgh, Chiapas Solidarity merchandise and info, free use of broadband computers etc..
       We hope to open regularly on the first Saturday of each month. This is dependent on having enough volunteers and this is where you can help – no experience needed as you would be on the shift with someone who was a regular at ACE. If interested in volunteering then please leave a message on ACE facebook, ring ACE on 0131 557 6242 during opening times, or email ecap@lists.riseup.net (ACE email not working).
ACE OPENING TIMES
        Every Tuesday 12-3pm. The last Thursday each month 6pm – 8pm. We are no longer open on the second Thursday of each month. Watch out for news on further Saturday opening.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sat 1 September:
     Ace Saturday Opening Everyone welcome to pop in & check us out 1 - 4 pm
IWW in the Park BBQ
     The Meadows, hosted by Edinburgh IWW 2 - 6 pm
Mon 3 September: 
     ECAP monthly meet At ACE 7 - 9 pm (meetings first Monday each month)
edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk
Thurs 6 Sept: 
      Living Rent Housing Protest, Muirhouse high rise council tenants demanding the Council end dampness and carry out much-needed repairs
Fidra Court, Pennywell Medway, Muirhouse EH4 4SE
1pm - 2.30/ 3 pm all welcome
Buses 37, 16, 27.
Wed 12 September: 
ATH Meeting ACE 7 - 8:30 pm
Sat/Sun 22/23 September: 
      Social Centre Conference At GAS, Glasgow --
Check out ACE on facebook @AutEdinburgh for news of the many regular events held at ACE including public discussions and film screenings.
         We also recommend you checking out the sites and facebooks of the several great groups based at and associated with ACE which include Action for Trans Health, Sisters Uncut, the International Womens Strike , Edinburgh Antifa, the Industrial Workers of the World, Oficina Precaria, the Anarchist Federation, Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group, Migrant Pride, Edinburgh in Protest, Decolonising Discussion Group, Anarchist Feminist bookfair, the Spit collective and ECAP.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglashow.me.uk

Shelter Is A Huma Right.

           Once again solidarity has proved itself to be a powerful weapon in the struggles of the ordinary people. The growing support by the people of Glasgow to stand up to injustice, and take on the corporate juggernaut of SERCO and its partner in crime, the home office, has met with success, albeit, temporary success. Only the continued growth of that solidarity can turn this into a permanent victory. Shelter is a human right, not a privilege in the hands of corporate bodies or the home office to be handed out on ideological whim and/or profit motive. Well done to all those involved, and continue to grow our solidarity.

      Living Rent Scotland's tenants union has welcomed today's announcement by SERCO to immediately halt their proposed evictions of up to 300 people in Glasgow, it comes as the Tenants union was preparing to mobilise hundreds of volunteers to defend the doors of those facing eviction by SERCO
       Over 500 people have now signed up to a call out by Living Rent and were preparing to mobilise on Monday morning to defend the doors of their neighbours who are threatened with eviction by SERCO, it comes as part of the ongoing campaign by campaigners across the city to put a stop to SERCO's plans to evict up to 300 people across Glasgow
       "We welcome this decision by SERCO to put a temporary halt to any lock changes, but let's be clear it's temporary. This concession from a multi-billion-pound multinational has only come about through the combined mobilisation of ordinary people and dedicated organisers; this belongs to the people and its only through our continuing mobilisation that we can ensure this victory is seen through.
         The best way to ensure a victory in the courts is to show that the ordinary citizens of Glasgow are ready to take to the streets in defence of their neighbours no matter what. We have been planning and building up our capacity for neighbourhood defence all week in preparation for SERCO's attempt to evict people, we have seen a massive response from the people of Glasgow who are rightfully horrified and angry at these plans by SERCO. In less than a week we have already shifted the balance of power - over the next 21 days we need to gather our forces to finally show Serco and the home office that we mean business"
         We will continue our plans to mobilise our members and all those who pledged to volunteer this week, everyone who has got in touch and pledged their support should keep Monday morning free if possible and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Onwards!

Living Rent Glasgow
http://www.livingrent.org/

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk
 

Glasgow May Day 2018.

     May Day would not go unmarked in Glasgow, as would be expected, a motely band of anarchists, socialists, wobblies and diggers, etc. set forth from George Square. Headed by a banjo and singing they threaded their way past the Merchants House, past the undergrond, up to the green man that is the Donald Dewar statue, Glasgow's icon of Labourism. There they joined stalls, musicians, singers and poets.

     The proceedings opened with a splended rendition of Preacher and a Slave sung by Brendan in a resplendent red jacket. By now some passers-by joined the group, swelling the numbers. Brendan McLaughlin was followed by the wonderful soaring vioce of Joe Craig, recalling the Spanish Civil War. The crowd were now treated to Pauline Vallance playing the clarsach, her first song being self-penned about a May Sunday. Then followed some poems by Rab Fullerton and Paul Anderson, more songs this time from Pauline Bradley. Things kept lively, and feet kept tapping, with several  tunes played on the pipes by Tommy Kayes.

       Living rent and Scottish independence speakers followed, and then a Anti-Austerity/Class War spokesperson, gave a conversational account of their visit to the Scottish Parliament to give Esther McVey, government's Minister works and pensions a small taste of her own medicine.

     The event closed with more songs from Joe, Pauline and Brendan.

      A group retired to the Scotia Bar for more chat and songs, by 2pm., the temperature had dropped and some stalls packed up among them Clydeside IWW, Living Rent, and Westgap. An earlier threat by an "official" regarding Class War posters put up on a shop window, evaporated as nae polis showed up.

     The afternoon was stimulated by other events, old friends passing by were greeted, new enquirers were given leaflets and info on History Walk, Wednesday, evening, 6pm. 2nd May, Montrose Street, and the Picnic on the Green, Sunday May 6th., 2pm. Glasgow Green.

       The afternoon's events, which were a great success, were filmed by City Strolls, thanks Bob. Report by Keith, edited by J.C.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk