Leading Lib Dems support 'fair deal' petition

10.35.00am GMT Thu 26th Mar 2009

Sutton Lib Dem Council leader, Cllr Sean Brennan, and the borough's MPs, Tom Brake and Paul Burstow, have lent their strong support to Sutton tenants in presenting a petition to Downing Street on Wednesday, 25 March, demanding a fairer deal for council tenants.

The delegation travelled from Sutton to Parliament in an open top double decker bus. After presenting their petition the group met Housing Minister Iain Wright to reinforce the views of Sutton residents against the Government's 'rent claw back'.

This is the unpopular policy of using Sutton tenants' rents to pay for improvements to housing in other parts of the country. Council tenants across the borough currently pay the government £10 million a year in what is known as a negative housing subsidy.

Earlier this month, Sutton tenants secured a real victory when the Government backed down by announcing that rent increase guidelines would be halved with central government footing the bill. The government climbed down after Sean Brennan wrote to Housing Minister Margaret Beckett asking for a cut in council rents.

Sean said: "The Government's decision to slash their proposed rent increases in half shows our campaign is beginning to have a major impact. Now, we want them to think again on the whole unfair system of using tenants rents to subsidise housing improvements elsewhere. This petition will put further pressure on the government to scrap this unpopular policy."