No2BedroomTax activists demand Tory/Lab coalition in South Ayrshire to split in response to 'eviction' letters sent to tenants with bedroomtax arrears

PLEASE SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/labour-group-in-south-ayrshire-council-stop-supporting-the-tories-and-disband-the-tory-lab-coaltion

The open letter to South Ayrshire Council can be found here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7_tlLo-B2rXc0tFOG1PSkduS0E/edit

The Facebook Event Page for the protest at South Ayrshire Council can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1379405235636080/

********PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE RELEASE**** No2BedroomTax Campaign to protest to break Tory/Labour coalition in South Ayrshire.

At the beginning of November, South Ayrshire Council sent out letters threatening eviction and informing children services to tenants who have bedroom tax arrears. The local No2BedroomTax Branch met last night at decided that they will lobby the Full Council meeting in South Ayrshire on 19th December at 10AM with the objective of breaking the Tory/Labour coalition in South Ayrshire Council and will continue to lobby the Labour group until their objectives are met.

Local SNP Councillors have made it public that their open offer to the Labour group to create a SNP/Lab coalition in South Ayrshire is still on the table and local activists in Ayr beleive that this would be the best option for residents in South Ayrshire.

Wallace Kerr at the LibDem Conference
(Pic Credit: Billy Knox)

Wallace Kerr, resident of Ayr and No2BedroomTax member: "I feel that we have let down by the Labour group in South Ayrshire. They promised to help mitigate the effects of the

bedroom tax but are in effect supporting Conservative policy.  
The 'eviction' letter send out to tenants in South Ayrshire with bedroom tax arrears shows that the Labour Group is unable to force their influence onto the Tories at South Ayrshire Council. The insensitive and crass manner that has been shown by Mr Harry Garland and South Ayrshire Council, especially which the underhand threat to contact children's services, is was completely unacceptable and the tenants involved are entitled to a full written apology while questions must be asked of Mr Garland's suitability to his role as Director of Care at South Ayrshire Council.

I believe that the Labour Group must immediate disband their coalition with the Tories at South Ayrshire Council and we will continue to protest until we are successful.

The first protest will take place at the next full Council meeting on the 19th December 2013"

Jaki Buntin, co-covenor of the No2BedroomTax Campaign:

Jaki Buntin: No2BedroomTax Co-Covernor

"I can not express my anger and disappointment strongly enough at the actions of South Ayrshire Council and the lack of sensitivity when dealing with tenants who have bedroom tax arrears."

"But moreso, I am perplexed at how a Labour group can join in coalition with the Tories considering the austerity measures emanating from Westminster."

"A Tory/Labour coalition is an abomination at any level of politics and in the case of South Ayrshire, it appears that the Labour Group in South Ayrshire have very little or no influence when the council implement Tory policies. The obvious question to me is: What do the Labour group get from this coalition and is this coalition in the best interest of residents of Ayrshire?"

"We call on the Labour group to immediately disband their coalition with the Tories and accept the SNPs offer to form a SNP/Labour coalition. We beleive that this is in the best interest of tenants in South Ayrshire. There is precedence for a SNP/Labour coalition as the Highland Council has is jointly ran by the ScottishNational Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Labour Party."

Note to Editors: 1: No2BedroomTax Campaign is a tenant led campaign that is fighting the bedroom tax in a local, regional and national level. 2: Wallace Kerr contact details can be given by emailing alanwyllie77@gmail.cm 3 The open letter to South Ayrshire Council is attached and can be found https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7_tlLo-B2rXc0tFOG1PSkduS0E/edit 4: South Ayrshire Council sent out "Evictions Letters" to tenants with threats of informing Children Services: Please see press report http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-council-chiefs-threaten-evict-2667249