Star date: 5th October 2014

JAILED FOR £300 ARREARS – BOLTON AGAINST BEDROOM TAX MARCH PUTS MICHAEL HILTON CENTRE STAGE

Salford campaigners joined Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax for a rally and march around the town centre yesterday. After a minute's silence for Salford's Alan Henning, local Labour MPs promised to abolish the Tax if elected next May, and Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris pledged to do everything in the Council's power to pass a `no evictions' policy.

Centre stage of the event was Accrington man, Michael Hilton, currently languishing in jail for £300 rent arrears caused by the Bedroom Tax.

Full details here...

A coffin, a bed and a skeleton in a wheelchair were paraded through Bolton town centre yesterday as a statement that the anti-Bedroom Tax campaign is alive and well and more angry than ever.

Salford people joined the rally and march, and there was a minute's silence for Alan Henning, murdered by ISIS, before the event. Alan Henning had links with both Salford and Bolton.

Centre stage at the event was the cause of Accrington man Michael Hilton, who has been in jail for almost four months for £300 rent arrears, purely caused by the Bedroom Tax...

"We're lucky in Bolton because we have a strong anti-Bedroom Tax campaign but in Accrington there isn't one, so Michael never got advice on Discretionary Housing Payment or how to appeal against his Bedroom Tax" said Linda from Bolton Against The Bedroom Tax "There was no support there when Michael was given a notice seeking possession... and he didn't have people like us to stand outside his home and support him..."

Michael has some mental health issues and had lived in his home for 33 years with his son, and when the bailiffs came he put up his own little protest which resulted in the police arresting him.

"That man is now in prison, remanded in custody for almost four months for £300 Bedroom Tax arrears" Linda added "This is wrong. How much has it cost for the bailiffs to come to his house? How much has it cost for the police to arrest him and put him in court? How much has it cost in court time? To keep him in prison? A lot bloody more than £300!"

She urged people to protest outside Burnley High Court on October 9th.

Meanwhile, all Bolton's MPs were represented at the rally, receiving hundreds of postcards signed by local people demanding that they axe the Tax, and Bolton Council Leader, Cliff Morris was presented with a huge petition urging Bolton Council to, not only stop the Bedroom Tax but also to impose a policy of `No Evictions'.

"It is an evil tax and we will do everything within our power as a council to make sure we have a no eviction policy" Morris responded.

David Crausby, MP for Bolton North East, reminded the crowd that over a year ago he had stood on the steps of Bolton Town Hall at the first of the town's marches and said that he would rebel against Ed Miliband if he didn't pledge to abolish the Bedroom Tax as official Labour Party Policy...

"Within a fortnight Ed Miliband announced that it would be policy for the next Labour Government to abolish the Bedroom Tax" he said "I've been telling all my Labour colleagues at Westminster that he heard what I said on Bolton Town Hall steps, he clearly took a little bit of notice, so if anyone asks you where it all began, it began here in Bolton largely because of the organisation of Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax which we took up in opposition.

"And that's how things get done" he added "From the very bottom where people protest and have their say, and put pressure on people like me to put pressure on people like Ed Miliband. Congratulations."

Crausby added that Labour would abolish the Tax "not only because it's a very cruel and unfair tax but also because it's a very stupid tax, it doesn't raise any money.

"I can understand a Tory Government wanting to take money from the poor, it's what they've done for all eternity" he explained "but to introduce a tax that doesn't make any money, and just increases the size of the debt that our housing associations and organisations have to carry, is not just cruel it is stupid.

"The Tories claim that the Bedroom Tax would drive people out of three bedroom houses so that other people can take them – what it's resulted in here in Bolton is empty three bedroom houses" he explained "How does that deal with homelessness?  How does that make any sense? It's absolutely clear to me and the Labour Party that the best way to deal with homelessness is to build houses, not punish homeless people."

Fellow Bolton West MP, Julie Hilling, underlined the sentiment, adding "They are actually saying that a 16 year old and a two year old should be sharing a bedroom ...They are actually saying that only if you're rich you are allowed to have a bedroom for each of your children

"It's a disgrace, not only because it raises no money, not only that it punishes the poorest and causes untold misery in our community but it's a stupid tax based on a false premise in the first place" she said "I promise you that if we are elected next May the first act will be to get rid of this cruel, pernicious Bedroom Tax."

Linda from Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax also paid tribute to the support of the Green Party which had stood by the campaign since `day one', Penny from The People's Assembly, urged people to get down to London on 18th October for the huge march against austerity, and said that the campaign has pledged to bring down any government that continues with austerity – while singer Darren Nesbit entertained the crowd with the now classic Barton Moss anthem `We are the 99%'...