The war on squatting

When the amendment to the legal aid bill regarding squatting was announced, Mike Weatherley said “Today is a good day for everyone except the anarchists” on BBC Radio Sussex. He is MP for Hove, also a (wannabe?) member of the rich elite, the 1%, for which every day probably is a good day, thank you very much.

He thought it was a good day because the amendment will criminalise squatting in residential buildings. Despite regulations already being in place to protect intending occupiers and displaced residents, people like Weatherley want to protect the holy law of property rights. I wonder how many houses Weatherley himself has.

Just like with reform of the drug laws, it seems like property law has to get worse before it gets better. It’s obvious that squatting is going to be criminalised, because that is what those in power want. Ken Clarke made a speech saying he was going to criminalise squatting the day before the consultation on squatting ended. Not the day after but the day before. The fact that the huge majority of those consulted thought there was no need for consultation was conveniently overlooked.

A letter to the Guardian from 158 academics, lawyers and solicitors working in housing law stated that the debate was not being helped by Members of Parliament giving incorrect statements in the media. What is interesting is to analyse the response of some of those MPs. Mike Weatherley said “the self-proclaimed experts who signed the letter, sheep-like, have a huge vested interest when it comes to fees after all,” as if everyone behaved like speculators.

Grant Schapps was even better. He tweeted that the people who signed the letter, who we can genuinely call experts in their professional field, were “sadly out of touch.”

Then he commented in the Guardian that “The guidance I published earlier this year makes clear to homeowners where the law stands on squatters, however commonsense suggests there should be quick and tough sanctions available when someone’s home is squatted, without the homeowner necessarily needing to bring a civil case.” Despite the clear fact that there are already legal measures in place to protect owner occupiers (as already mentioned), Schapps chooses to keep on perpetuating the same soundbite as Mike Weatherley. He was challenged on Twitter by some of the writers of the letter, those sadly out of touch, self-proclaimed experts and naturally did not deign to reply. There was no other way to answer.

It is clear that a united front is being presented here. The facts may not stand up to to scrutiny, but doesn’t really matter. The Daily Telegraph had already claimed victory for its Stop The Squatters campaign back in March. We’ve lost the legal battle long ago!!

(Although we will see how it pans out in the real world)

What’s next? Well the war on travellers of course. Stand by for more bullshit, this time courtesy of Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Pavilion.