My week...

A friend phoned me up today and apparently there is a rumour that the Renfrewshire Labour Group has offered me a safe seat in a forthcoming election. This is news to me, I have never discussed standing at any election with any political party. My only priority is ended the bedroom tax.

I stay in Paisley and it is Labour who run my local council.  I have lobbied them since the beginning of the 2013 and now know quite a few of the councillors. I'm actually quite proud of my councils actions against the bedroom tax.  After lobbying from locals they:

• Implemented a 'no eviction' policy
• Reclassified bedrooms
• Increase funding so that more people could be protected from the bedroom tax.

In my opinion, the whole council should be applauded for this stance as this can only be done with political consensus from all parties. But I can honestly say that I have never discussed standing at any election with any political party. My only priority is ended the bedroom tax.

Talking of rumours....an old one has resurfaced. Apparently I am 'working with housing associations that are evicting people'.   This is from the same old faces and is in reference to the BinTheBedroomTax coalition in which the West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations are a member.  The STUC and Scottish Tenants Organisation are also members. Do we really think that these the STUC and the Scottish Tenants Organisation would work with housing associations that are evicting tenants?   At this stage of the campaign, I believe it is better to work with as many stakeholders as possible.  I truly believe that by working together that we can banish the bedroom tax.

 Finally had our petition submitted to the Scottish Parliament.  The petition can be found here
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/No2BedroomTax
 and the first draft of the report that goes along with the petition can be found here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7_tlLo-B2rXOF9DV2o0YVZlalk/edit?usp=sharing


To be honest I am not sure how successful this petition will be. I am just hoping that the Scottish democratic structure is responsive to our demands.  I will have to present my 'evidence' for the petition at the Scottish Parliament in November. Nae pressure eh?  Actually, there is no pressure on me because I am absolutely convinced that I am right but we all know what politics is like... So fingers crossed.