BOLTON Against the Bedroom Tax would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Cllr Linda Thomas on her election as the Leader of Bolton Labour Group, and therefore, leader of Bolton Council.

But we would like like to remind her and the council, that on Saturday, October 4, 2014, Bolton Against Bedroom Tax presented to her predecessor Cllr Clifford Morris a 4,000 strong, named petition calling for a no evictions policy for people affected by the bedroom tax, Cllr Morris accepted the petition and announced in the town hall square that the council would do all within it's power to bring in a no-evictions policy.

Now, more three years later, this had not happened, and neither has a debate at full council were someone from Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax could address the council for five minutes in support of the petition, under the Locality Act, petitions of 4,000 strong should be given a debate at full council.

Nearly 2,000 people in Bolton are affected by the bedroom tax, and we in BABT believe that the current no homeless policy does not goes far enough, it does not protect people affected by the bedroom tax from eviction, and we need to prevent further additions to the chronic rough sleeping and homeless problems we have in our town.

In closing, Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax is still wondering what happened to the petition of October of 2014.

Alan Johnson

Linda Charnock

Garry Croft

Bolton Against The Bedroom Tax