This week 60 years ago: ‘Don’t pay your rent’, orders renegade Islington councillor

A renegade councillor ordered Islington estate tenants to break the law and refuse to pay increased rent.

The town hall had given out notices for people to agree new terms and higher rates – between eight and 17 shillings – in time for the next financial year, 1959/60.

But rebel Cllr Sidney Luxford told the chamber that tenants shouldn’t accept them.

“We have a 100 per cent Labour borough council,” he told the Gazette. We ought to go all out to fight the government responsible for rent increases.”

The councillor added: “We don’t want to have too much of a go at our own council. But we do feel they need gingering up a bit, rather than take what the Tory government has been dishing out.

“We don’t want the extra cost of council flats to be put on the rates and paid for by the people, who have troubles enough of their own.”

He concluded: “We feel that the government should do someting about it.”