Unite the union has slammed the 'super rich' for cashing in on Britain's housing crisis, while almost two million households languish on council waiting lists.

The union fears property developers could stitch up deals that would hit council tenants and leaseholders in London and elsewhere in the country.

Unite activists and other campaigners are meeting today, 15 October, outside the Kensington tube station, Olympia Way, W14 0NE to form a protest at the MIPIM property fair, the biggest of its kind in the world, being held for the first time in London at Olympia between 15-17 October.


Unite said that the London Mayor Boris Johnson is aiding and abetting property developers in the capital to the detriment of those seeking a home.

In its briefing – Carving up our communities – Unite said that MIPIM will 'super-charge' the housing crisis.

Instead of the failed partnership MIPIM model, Unite is calling for a massive council house building programme and the regulation of landlords with the emphasis on rent controls which work in Germany and Sweden.

The union said: "Unite believes that councils and public bodies are pressurised by a combination of government, developers, and funding cuts to use publicly-owned land for majority-private housing development."

(CD/JP)