Gypsies Prepare to Fight Government Housing Policy

Expect a summer of protests and disruptions if the coalition government continues what has been called a campaign of harassment and criminalisation, say Gypsy and Traveller communities. Less than a month in power and the new government has already reversed policies giving incentives to councils to develop land for Gypsy and Traveller communities. As a result, all bids to fund new sites and refurbish existing ones across England and Wales have been cancelled. Eric Pickles, the communities and local government secretary, has said he wants to revive elements of the Conservative's 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act that turns trespass from a civil into a criminal offence. This will mean that Travellers who refuse to move from land that is not privately owned by them could be arrested by police or forcibly evicted. Pickles has also announced his intention to scrap new rules giving Gypsies and Travellers a "level playing field" in planning disputes with local authorities. There have already been discussions among the UK's 300,000 Gypsies and Travellers about holding a series of co-ordinated protests, including jamming the motorway network with caravans. Read the full story on The Guardian website by
clicking on the logo below.