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Neighbours welcome squatters in MPs' home
Rebecca Lowe30 Jun 2009
Squatters who took over the constituency home of Labour MPs Ann and Alan Keen in protest at their "outrageous" expense claims have unexpectedly received the backing of their new neighbours.
Residents have shown their support for the group, who moved into the Brentford property last Thursday, by donating food, clothes, water and bedding. In return, the squatters held a barbecue for them.
The husband and wife MPs were dubbed "Mr and Mrs Expenses" after it emerged they claimed £140,000 over four years for a second home in Westminster by listing the run-down semi-detached house as their "main" residence. Ann Keen is MP for Brentford and Isleworth, while her husband Alan is MP for neighbouring Feltham and Heston.
Father-of-four Dave Twells, 54, a construction worker who has lived around the corner from the Keens for 30 years, said the squatters had his "100 per cent support".
""What those MPs have done with their expenses is disgusting," he added. "I have four children and was made redundant six months ago. I'm back in work now, but it has been a real struggle."
The squatters, six men and four women, aged between 17 and 30, moved into the £375,000, four-storey house last Thursday. It has no running water or electricity and large gaps in the wooden flooring but its new occupiers say they will not leave without a fight. They plan to convert the building into a refugee or community centre if the Keens fail to gain a repossession order.
Full-time squatter Sam Reginald, 27, who organised the barbecue for neighbours last night, said: "We're going to stay for as long as possible. The issue is not just about the Keens, it's about giving the community a voice. The public wants to have an outlet for their concerns, but they don't know how to go about organising themselves." Another squatter, 20-year-old Serge, said the group wanted to highlight freedom of movement between countries, the "injustice" of the Iraq war, the lack of affordable housing in the UK and MP "corruption".
Hounslow council wrote to the Keens two weeks ago, threatening to seize the house as an "abandoned dwelling" if they continue to leave it empty. The MPs now have 28 days to explain how and when they plan to bring the property back into use. Otherwise it may be taken out of their control and used to house council tenants.
Jim Hamilton, who works for the Advisory Service for Squatters, said "There are around 10,000 people on waiting lists for housing in this borough alone."
Reader views (20)
I applaud the squatters for what theyre doing! how many corrupt MP's have claimed our money as their own? These shoddy Labour MP's finally have a taste of their own medicine!
Just as long as these squatters dont live up to the reputation of many of their own kind (shooting up etc) they should be there for a long time coming!
You have my support, i think i'll pop by in a few days and drop off some vital neccessities you all need!
- Drew, London, 05/07/2009 10:26
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When will the British stand up for themselves for once. A few holier-than-thou comments here make me weep.
When they have bankrupted and betrayed the country and behaved disgracefully over their expenses they deserve everything they get.
I bet the sanctimonious types here have been to a fireworks display in November...
- Man In The Street, London, UK, 30/06/2009 12:45
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I think it is great and hope they get the better of the parlement, awesome.
- Ryan Morris, Wales, 30/06/2009 01:10
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I love this story - how time and events have change preconceptions - squatters now heroes good luck to them. I have miserable neighbors so wish I had some noisy squatters next door who had wild parties - I might get to go to them.
- Mr Pastry, Brisbane, 29/06/2009 21:01
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A bad idea is always a bad idea. Squatters are people who think law and order is optional according to THEIR needs. They believe that laws that can be used to their advantage if twisted just right makes the spirit of those laws irrelevant. These are the people that think the world owes them a living.
Admittedly, that makes them no different than the people they have stolen the house from, the MPs and, ultimately, the taxpayers (having seen it advertised as being vulnerable in the media) - but again - two wrongs don't make a right.
- Rogan, Irving, 29/06/2009 18:13
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"Neighbours welcome squatters in MPs' home". Have they worked out the effect on the house prices in their street yet....?? Watch this sspace.
- Haskey, London SE1, 29/06/2009 17:41
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First comment on ThisIsLondon and a very deserving cause it is.
Excellent news, I think every south east MP's second home should be opened up for the community in the same way. May drive over in a few days and drop a hamper off.
- Man In The Street, London, UK, 29/06/2009 17:24
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I once saw squatters in a very middle class area of Hammersmith being evicted by angry residents who'd had enough of the noise and parties. I'll give this street a month until they're begging for the Keens to get a court order. If I was the Keens, I'd sit on my hands and let their former neighbours suffer for a while.
- Tony Mcmahon, London, UK, 29/06/2009 17:05
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It's Certainly raised the tone of the neighborhood. Big time.
- Steve, Brentford, 29/06/2009 16:58
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It must make a nice change for the neighbours to have someone HONEST living next door. Probably means the council tax will go up though, with a better class of people leiving there.
- L.Taubler, London / ENGLAND, 29/06/2009 16:27
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Though the owners may well be scumbags, "squatting" is still theft, pure and simple. Claiming some sort of political motivation is no excuse. Would these "full time" squatters like to justify the fact that they, like MPs are scrounging off the taxpayer?. It is very likely that they are even greater parasites than the homeowners in question. Throw them out and make sure they land on something hard!.
- Mike, Worcester, 29/06/2009 16:23
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Hi i'm one of the squatters, don't worry there will be no drugs or undesirables. Its purely a political statement, the house is barely habitable, if there's time we would like to make it livable so it can used to house people in need. Thanks for the support! We hope that other people will take the initiative towards change. Please come down and show your support.
- Oz, Brentford, 29/06/2009 15:31
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Personally I support this action because of the fraud, however, squatters should have no rights what so ever with any property, unless abandoned. For people to take over the home of someone who makes payment / mortgage on that property and for their be laws helping this is simply outrageous.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 29/06/2009 15:15
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A great prank to play on the MPs, but am I the only one who suspects that the MPs will claim public funding for their case to get the squatters out?
Of course, can the squatters claim legal aid to fight their case so we'd end up paying for it twice over (on top of what we've already paid). It's all so confusing ;-))
- Al, Reading, UK, 29/06/2009 13:17
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It is not often the Evening Standard makes me laugh out loud... but I did when I read this story! I truly guffawed! Marvellous stuff! Hats off to the squatters and I hope they cause the hideous MP couple monstrous levels of aggro!
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 29/06/2009 12:46
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Will the eviction costs be recharged to the taxpayer?
- Rick, London, London, 29/06/2009 12:17
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Don't people on here normally condemn squatters as dirty scroungers?
nevertheless, it's nice that the hate felt for MPs has actually changed public attitudes- well done the squatters for taking advanyage of this obvious opportunity to show the gulf between the have and have-nots, for eloquently highlighting the plight of the homeless and the scandal of empty, useable homes.
I truly hope this brings about legislation that allows councils to use empty houses, wherever they are, whatever they are worth, for the greater good.
- Fresh, London, 29/06/2009 11:28
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The Keens must be made return to their main hovel and the house in Westminister - paid for by tax payers - must be sold and the proceeds returned to the public purse. Brown had the opportunity to regain some respect by sacking all corrupt MPs but he chose to "support" them instead. This makes him as guilty as the frauds in his government. Labour MPs are the scum of the earth.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 29/06/2009 11:07
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I love this, its hilarious. Whatever the rights and wrongs of squatters, its nice to see the vultures in the House of Parliament getting a bit of their own medicine. This couple are a disgrace and their heads are so up their rear that they don't seem to understand why the ordinary person earning an average salary of £11,000 a year feel having to pay their bills. So good on you squatters and I agree with the neighbours as I live in Brentford.
- Mathew, brentford, 29/06/2009 10:13
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Keep the drugs and crack whores out of their and they may very well retain that support for sometime.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 29/06/2009 10:04
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