Why haven't the three Oxford IWCA (independent working class association) coucillors been invited to this? Their wards are in Blackbird Leys, one of the most run-down areas od council housing in hte UK.

According to the IWCA the trade union movement is irrelevant and finished. This meeting seems to have been called by trade unions, so presumably the IWCA aren't interested.

The IWCA know about this event, and have been invited. As far as I know they are still
deciding whether to come along or not - when I last spoke to them about it, however, they
were worried about the alleged SWP control of 'Defend Council Housing' and seemed to be
leaning towards not coming to this meeting. I assume that they will be campaigning against
stock transfer/ALMOs/PFIs in Blackbird Leys anyway, tho personally I think a unified
campaign would be better.

Matt

The IWCA are deciding whether to come? How much thought does it take?

The idea that UNISON and a local defend council housing campaign are SWP 'fronts' is ridiculous and no reason not to attend a meeting on such a serious issue. DCH has organised some extremely serious campaigns up and down the country with a huge level of tenant and trade union involvement.

If this is a typical example of the IWCA behaviour then it would be hard to see them as any more progressive or serious than any of the thousands of independent councillors up and down the country. They should be fighting to get on the platform and using their significant roots to build the best possible resistance not questioning whether to support the campaign.

"Alleged" SWP control of Defend Council Housing is the right way of putting it. Alleged by whom, I'd like to know? At the DCH national conference a bit over a month ago the only SWP presence was three rather sad-looking people outside the door selling papers in the cold!

OK, I know there are a lot of seemingly non-party SWP front organisations around ("Globalise Resistance" is particularly silly) but if DCH was one of them I think I'd have noticed.

Mike :-)