4 / <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pavement</strong>, May 2011<strong>The</strong> Westminster banOpposition grows against Westminster City Council’s proposed byelawWestminster City Council’sproposed byelaw banning soupruns and rough sleeping is lookingincreasingly shaky as oppositiongrows, deadlines are delayedand Conservative councillorscome out against the plans.Reported as the policy of a“callous” and “heartless” Torycouncil (the Daily Mail and theMirror, respectively), it seemed thebyelaw was unanimously backedby the Conservative councillors whohold the majority in WestminsterCity Council. However, this doesnot entirely seem to be the case.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Pavement</strong> emailed all ofWestminster’s 48 Conservativecouncillors to ask whether theysupport the byelaw, oppose thebyelaw or have not made up theirmind. Three responded: CouncillorPhilippa Roe replied “this is not myportfolio” and suggested speakingto Daniel Astaire; Councillor Michaelsaid “I strongly support the byelaw”;while Councillor Glenys Roberts,a Daily Mail journalist, stated “Ioppose the byelaw, I think this hasto be handled more sensitively.”And it seems that Cllr Robertsis not alone – with reports thatConservative councillor RobertRigby voiced his opposition to thebyelaw on a visit to a soup run. <strong>The</strong><strong>Pavement</strong> also spoke to LabourCouncillor Adam Hug, who said, :“What’s not clear to us is preciselywhat the mood on the Conservativebackbenches is. I think therewill be a lot of concern… there<strong>The</strong>re are lots of people who havegenerally held concerns aboutthe issue, and I think probablyyou’ll have to speak to some ofthem to find out what exactly’sgoing on behind closed doors.”<strong>The</strong> Conservatives have an evenmore high-profile dissenter to add totheir list, too, namely the Mayor ofLondon. Under persistent questioningfrom Liberal Democrat Memberof the Greater London AssemblyMike Tuffrey, Boris Johnson finallyclarified his position at Mayor’sQuestion Time on 23 March, saying:“I do not want to ban soup runs,provided they are part of a strategyto help people off the street”.<strong>The</strong> 12 Labour councillorsat Westminster City Council,meanwhile, have already comeout in joint opposition, releasinga statement which says: “LabourCouncillors have condemned thishard-hearted and mean-mindedaction at a time of rising unemploymentand increasing homelessnessamongst the most vulnerable.”More protests and directactionInspired by the multi-organisationflashmob demonstrationsand the protest picnic heldoutside Westminster Cathedralon 20 March, campaigners havecontinued to take to the streets.On 2 April, another horizontalflashmob, Everybody Lie Down InWestminster Day, took place onWestminster Cathedral Piazza;while on 14 April, campaignersgathered outside WestminsterCity Hall to take part in the ProtestAgainst Benefits Cuts & Mass FoodGive Away! Plans are also underwayfor events on the day of the councilmeeting and, possibly, to coincidewith the Royal Wedding (tentativelyentitled ‘Let <strong>The</strong>m Eat Cake’).Online, meanwhile, HenriettaStill and Co from GoldsmithsCollege have produced a short filmentitled the Big Soup Society (onFacebook), while <strong>Pavement</strong> photographerRufus Exton’s film (www.youtube.com/user/pavementtv)documenting the 20 March protesthas received more than 1,000hits. Over on Twitter, the hashtag#homelessban is focusing support,while anti-byelaw Facebook groupsand pages continue to attract fans.Housing Justice is also stillcalling on Westminster residentsto lobby their local councillors, andasking anyone doing a soup runto sign up to their newly updatedSoup Run Code of Conduct.Finding alternativesAs well as the Soup Run Code ofConduct, other practical alternativesto the byelaw are being put forward.On the Labour Matters website(www.labourmatters.com),Labour councillors have outlineda three-point plan, which they saywould enable soup runs to continue.Suggestions include a system oflicensing/registration and regulation;Council-supported effortsto provide daily building-basedalternatives; and a code of conduct.Alastair Murray, Deputy deputyDirector director of HousingJustice, has called on the councilto make use of the knowledge andexperience of soup run volunteers,and widen building-based provision,saying: “All More hostels inWestminster could be opening upspace in the evening, and they couldbe more supportive of the ideaof indoor drop-in services open inthe evening and at the weekend.“If we can work out a timetableof doing that and really encouragesoup runs to look at movingsomewhere indoors in their localarea in or Westminster, then I think
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