Alan Moore the author of the original V for Vendetta, who distanced himself considerably from the film and other Hollywood aberrations of his work, has designed a poster campaign to help keep council housing public in Northhampton. There are some interesting parallels here with what the cottage social centre collective are trying to do with their occupation of what was a council run youth and community centre in Sparkbrook.


Moore supports housing council
Norman Adams
March 22, 2006
Defend Council Housing have taken to creative fund raising, and it doesn't come much more creative than this, Alan Moore has agreed to produce the art work for a poster that the campaign will sell to help fund the campaign in Northamptonshire. Norman Adams and Chris Pounds, both council tenants and leading members of the housing campaign group in Northamptonshire 'Defend Council Housing', were with Alan on Friday at his Northampton home to see the work in progress. The original will be put on Ebay for Moore Fans world wide to bid for.

Norman Adams said "We hope this will send a message to the councils in Northants, who are hell bent on conning tenants out of their secure tenancies with the bait of a new bathroom or some other bribe, that tenants will with the help of other tenants hear both sides of the story. We hope that the sale of this run of 100 very collectable posters will make it possible for us to be financially able to get our message though every council tenants door, and to hold meetings across Northamptonshire"

The campaign believes council housing should stay with councils, and says "councils up and down the country have been falsely painting a rosy picture of what tenants will get if they transfer their homes to an Housing Association."

Norman Adams said "We are very pleased that Alan is showing support, he knows that councils are spending vast amounts of money to put there one sided argument across, and that 'Defend Council Housing' has to try and compete with this and give tenants the facts. Where this is done with a well run campaign tenants tend to see though the glossy professional propaganda and spin that is put to them, and vote to stay with there council"

Chris Pounds said "We are well aware that South Northants, Daventry District Council and Wellingborough will have well oiled and overpaid public relations consultants running their offensive, making offers that may not materialize. We will have tenants talking at meetings who have first hand experience of the post-transfer nightmares. We take heart from the fact that of the last 11 councils to put this to a vote of tenants recently, 8 have been won by the "don't sell off council homes - stay with your council argument".

Norman Adams added "when it's said that tenants will be balloted, people need to ask will the ballot be fair? Lets look at the facts, one side of this debate has unlimited resources, they have the names and addresses of the electorate, they employ professional consultants and they determine when the ballot is held and they push privatisation. The other side has no resources except its support from tenants and belief in its case. It fits in campaigning around picking up the kids from school, outside of everyday work and in supporters limited free time. On any democratic criteria you apply that is not proper and not very balanced, we wish to put people in the picture".

If you are a council tenant in Northamptonshire and you wish for more information from 'Defend Council Housing' phone (01604) 764797 any Alan Moore fans that wish for more details of the poster can also contact the above number.

 http://www.alanmoorefansite.com/news.html#council