{"id":6229,"date":"2015-03-06T17:00:50","date_gmt":"2015-03-06T17:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/?p=6229"},"modified":"2021-01-13T10:41:52","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T10:41:52","slug":"eddie-izzard-locks-horns-with-landlords-over-chelsea-social-housing-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/03\/06\/eddie-izzard-locks-horns-with-landlords-over-chelsea-social-housing-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Eddie Izzard locks horns with landlords over Chelsea social housing estate"},"content":{"rendered":"

London is possibly already past saving.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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\"PoweredThis article titled “Eddie Izzard locks horns with landlords over Chelsea social housing estate” was written by Robert Booth, for The Guardian on Thursday 5th March 2015 12.36 UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

First came Russell Brand with his messianic locks and born-again radicalism, crusading for families on an east London estate<\/a> facing eviction by US investors. <\/p>\n

Now it is the turn of Eddie Izzard, sporting a pink manicure and Cuban heels, to set down his comedian\u2019s microphone for a tilt at politics. <\/p>\n

Like Brand, the 53-year old stand-up has decided to take on Britain\u2019s affordable housing crisis. With trademark whimsy and a steely conviction that he hopes will see him enter parliament or become London mayor by 2020, he has broken off from a world tour<\/a> to confront a landlord over its plans to rebuild the William Sutton Estate social housing estate in Chelsea<\/a> with 144 fewer low-rent homes. Affinity Sutton wants to replace some of them with more than 100 luxury apartments expected to sell for millions.<\/p>\n

Izzard has thrown his weight behind the opponents of the plans <\/a>which have divided residents amid claims of \u201csocial cleansing\u201d. When the Guardian joined him to meet tenants, some of whom face eviction, he showed little patience with the landlord\u2019s representatives. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust on the vibe everything you are saying is wrong,\u201d he told Lisa Louis, a spokeswoman for Affinity Sutton. \u201cAll your responses are wrong. You\u2019re doing a PR frontage, you\u2019re going on and on. It doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Louis tried to explain: \u201cOne of the things we are really struggling with is there is no government funding for social housing. We are working on providing the minimum private housing that we absolutely have to, to be able to re-provide the social housing. Otherwise it could not happen at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Izzard, was having none of it: \u201cThat\u2019s not fact. That\u2019s your facts. That\u2019s how you feel it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The transformation of the estate in one of the richest areas of London is part of what Izzard describes as a new \u201cmoneyocracy\u201d dividing society. As an Ed Miliband loyalist who has cleared his diary to campaign in next month\u2019s general election campaign, he believes the plans highlight growing division in society \u2013 a key theme as he steps up his bid for a career in British politics. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe separation of the rich and the poor … does feel like it is happening here and it can be stopped with the right legislation and encouragement for people to keep social housing and not squeeze people out on low incomes,\u201d he told the Guardian. \u201cWe will lose our vibrancy. The city is going to be emptying out and lots of houses will be empty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affinity Sutton strongly denies allegations of profiteering and social cleansing and has attacked \u201ccelebrities that are passing comment, [who] appear to have spoken only to opponents of the scheme\u201d<\/a>. But Izzard is undeterred.<\/p>\n