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Founding Statement of the All Scotland Anti-Bedroom Tax Conference

Founding Statement of the All Scotland Anti-Bedroom Tax Conference, 27th April, Woodside Halls, Glasgow:

The introduction of the bedroom tax by the Tory-led Government in Westminster is part of a vicious attack on the poorest sections of the working class.

The Tories claim that the bedroom tax will "save" £500 million. Yet the richest 1 000 people in the UK now have a combined wealth estimated at £450 billion. The Tories want to force the poor to choose between buying food, paying bills or paying their rent, in order to help pay for an economic crisis they did not create.

Protests and mass non-payment defeated the hated Tory Poll Tax. The Tory-Lib Dem bedroom tax can be beaten too.

Support local communities to set up anti- bedroom tax meetings and form local anti-bedroom tax groups. Help coordinate local groups to form a strong and united fightback to stop evictions and scrap the bedroom tax.

Call on all local authorities, housing associations, and the Scottish and Westminster governments to support a no evictions policy and refuse to implement the bedroom tax.

To recognise the Scottish Government has the power to amend Section 16 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to treat bedroom tax arrears as ordinary debt - not rent arrears - and calls on the Scottish Government to implement this change immediately, in line with the Govan Law Centre petition to lift the threat of bedroom tax evictions from the 105 000 households effected by the bedroom tax in Scotland.

Build an anti-evictions army of ordinary citizens to physically oppose, resist and prevent attempted bedroom tax evictions anywhere in Scotland through all peaceful means necessary, and assemble phone trees, Facebook lists, and other social media networks that may be required to facilitate the building of such an anti-eviction army.

Call on the Scottish Government to prevent both bedroom tax debt and job losses resulting from the bedroom tax, by funding the loss of housing benefit income and then fighting to win that money back from the Tory-led Government at Westminster.

To work closely with trade unions to stop evictions and scrap the bedroom tax, and work with trade unions to help support workers affected by the bedroom tax and those who refuse to implement evictions or the bedroom tax.

Campaign for the writing off of any debt incurred due to the bedroom tax and campaign to recover the shortfall for local authorities and housing associations from the Tory-led government at Westminster.

Support the building of new social housing to provide the homes people need.

Oppose all cuts and austerity measures. Oppose all attacks on the poor, unemployed, disabled, vulnerable and working class people including the so called "welfare reform bill".