SQUAT THRUSTS

It’s been a dark week: the criminalisation of squatting is on the cards. An early day motion tabled by tory MP for Hove Mike Weatherley has attracted only 20 signatures so far, but enough for Weatherley to declare on his self-congratulatory waste of webspace that “his” anti-squatting campaign is “close to victory”.

Changes to the law, which would effectively criminalise trespass, have been on the horizon since the Tories came into power - rumour has it the whole thing emerged as part of ongoing attempts to clear travellers’ sites. The recent high-profile protest squats of multi-million pound properties in London have surely added a sense of urgency for the government. Now, official government press releases say changes will be made in the ‘new year’.

Defending the right to squat will mean facing head on the ideologically driven campaign of misinformation coming from the government and happily relayed by the media. Grant Shapps, the Housing Minister, has said: “There’s never been such a thing as squatters’ rights - they are just a misreading of the laws that are actually designed to protect the home owner.”

Actually, Shapps, there has, and they’re going to be defended.