NO evictions!

This evening Norwich City Council were deciding (for the second time) whether to agree to a 'no evictions' policy regarding the infamous Bedroom Tax.

About 100 individuals and representatives from several organisations - including Norfolk Coalition Against the Cuts, Equal Lives (a support and campaigning organisation for and led by disabled people), Disabled People Against the Cuts and Norfolk People's Assembly - gathered outside City Hall banging pots and pans and waving placards. In the weeks leading up to the meeting tonight, people had been lobbying their Councillors to encourage them to vote in favour of a no evictions policy.

Some people then went into the Council chamber to listen to the debate, which started at 7.30. Unfortunately I had to leave at 7.50. I have yet to hear the outcome.

UPDATE - Wednesday morning: The Green Party lost the motion by 3 votes (17-20). Click here for the item in the local press. The article refers to a '40-strong' crowd. The reporter must have been there early, as it was definitely around 100 at one point.

Thanks to those of you who expressed concern about Ellen yesterday. I saw her this evening and she is fine, and she didn't get arrested although some people had said some pretty unpleasant things to say to her. She told me that she really hadn't intended to take such a dramatic action but she was simply outraged at the complacency of the man.