On Saturday 17 April we marched, with noise and energy, from Brimstone House to the Carpenters Estate. It is shocking and enraging to see the almost empty tower blocks on the Carpenters Estate – council flats left empty for over ten years, whilst we know that families with children in Brimstone House are crammed into unsuitable accommodation which is unfit and unhealthy for children.

At the same time as the residents from Brimstone House were on the march and demanding to be moved, the Mayor of Newham, in a parallel universe was patting herself on the back and sharing a tweet from Populo living, Newham council’s housing company:

11 families! How insulting, when tens of thousands are left to languish on the housing waiting list, and in Brimstone House alone, over 200 families are stuck in shoddy, cramped accommodation. Families living in hostels across the borough do not care about pomp and awards, they need the council to do their job and provide decent homes for residents. The council should start immediately by saving every home that is boarded up on Carpenters Estate and refurbish the estate for the people of Newham!

Great to have the support from Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism, The Socialist Party, Newham Trades Council, Social Housing Action Campaign, East London People Before Profit .

We hope to see you all at the next action led by residents from Brimstone House on Saturday 8 May. We will be meeting outside 10 Victoria Street at 2.30pm. We will not stop until Carpenters Estate is saved!