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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 20 March 2009

Snubbed tenants’ group turns to Tories

BATTLING tenants’ leader Brian Potter is holding talks today (Friday) with Islington Conservatives in a desperate bid save the organisation he represents.
The meeting follows a decision by the council’s housing agency, Homes for Islington, to withdraw £100,000 funding from the Federation of Islington Tenants Association (FITA).
FITA chairman Dr Potter, who has a month before the FITA office shuts, said: “We’ve appealed to the council’s Lib Dem and Labour groups for help with financial or office space and they have turned us down.
“Being tenants, we would have traditionally hoped for support from the Labour group. But, apart from a few individual councillors, as a group they have virtually snubbed us.
“So we are going cap in hand to the Tories. They are obviously very keen to up their game in time for the local elections in May 2010.”
FITA, set up by a previous Labour council 30 years, also represents thousands of leaseholders who have purchased homes on council estates.
Dr Potter is to meet Islington Conservative campaigns officer Richard Bunting and press officer David Vaiani. Mr Vaiani said: “Many of our members are leaseholders and we share their concerns.
“I have no doubt that these days at least we also have a lot of members who are council tenants.
“That’s why we want to sit down with Dr Potter and see if we can work with him.”
Islington Conservatives have said they will field candidates in every ward next year.

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