"Chair, Conference. Sue Howes, Gravesham CLP. Proposing Composite 10. This is my first party conference and the first time I've spoken in public.
I was brought up in a council house; both my parents and Nan are still council tenants. Council housing makes sense. It's cheaper to build, manage and maintain than the private alternatives. It provides greater security for tenants and lower rents and charges. And, more importantly, council tenants get to elect their landlord and have a much greater chance of holding them to account.
15 CLPs submitted contemporary motions calling for the 'Fourth Option'. We want to stand by our tenants who want improvements without the risks of privatisation.
We're facing a growing housing crisis and the private market just can't solve it.
There's a lot of hype about home ownership and there's a deliberate attempt to make people feel inadequate unless they own a home but many don't want to and millions could never afford to. If we hadn't thought of the idea of decent, affordable, secure and accountable public housing then we'd have to invent council housing today.
It's no wonder that the vast majority of council tenants want to remain with the council rather than get privatised. But, rightly, they also want their homes and estates improved.
Ministers keep telling everyone they're in favour of choice - what about choice for council tenants? I'm not going to go through the detailed financial arguments for the 'Fourth Option' - I haven't got time. They are well documented in the House of Commons Council Housing group's report (HOLD IT UP) and the new pamphlet 'Case for Council Housing in 21st Century Britain".
The key facts are that governments have been systematically disinvesting - robbing - council housing. If all the money that belongs to council housing is re-invested there is more than enough to fund an 'investment allowance' which is at the core of the 'Fourth Option'.
We want a 'level playing field'. If the Treasury is prepared to write off debt for councils who privatise their homes then why not for councils who retain them?
Nearly 3 million council tenants in 200 authorities across England, Scotland and Wales would benefit from the 'Fourth Option'.
There are more than 100 authorities who have decided to retain their homes, more than 50 authorities who have set up ALMOs (they will face the same issues after their five year contract runs out) and 44 like Gravesham where tenants are due to be balloted on privatisation.
We all need the 'Fourth Option' to guarantee a long term secure future for council housing.
Ministers have lost the argument. They've lost it with tenants; they've lost it with many councils and councillors, with the trade union movement and with MPs.
So now Ministers are trying to counter pose building new homes against their commitment on Decent Homes. That just isn't acceptable. Last year the government made a clear election manifesto commitment. They said "By 2010 we will ensure that all social tenants benefit from a decent, warm home with modern facilities."
Governments can't make and break key manifesto promises and still expect to get re-elected.
All of us are in favour of building new homes and it would make sense to enable councils to start building first class council homes that a new generation of tenants could be proud of.
This is a fundamental debate. Ministers say they believe in choice but councils spend literally millions promoting privatisation. Despite this tenants still vote NO but when councils don't get the result they want - like in Sefton - they re-ballot. It's a democratic scandal.
Privatisation is not just bad value for money but it leaves tenants with less security and higher rents and charges.
As Adam Sampson from Shelter pointed out on Sunday night, "many of these so-called 'not for profit' Registered Social Landlords are dominated by the banks and act as commercial concerns who are more interested in building for sale than looking after tenants who rent".
In 2004 there was an 8:1 vote at conference in support of a level playing field for council housing. Last year Gravesham seconded the motion on the 'Fourth Option'. The conference chair described the vote as 'almost unanimous'.
Are Ministers listening? Earlier this year we were told that a working group was set up by the Sustainable Communities Commission to address the terms of the 2004 conference decision. We were told it would report to this conference but it hasn't. The NEC states that a report is expected early next year but nothing is defined
We've had all sorts of promises and assurances from senior Ministers: Stephen Byers, John Prescott and others. We don't want promises that get broken or ignored.
I hope conference will express its overwhelming support and that Ministers will finally respect the democratic wishes of council tenants and of the party on the third attempt.
I move this motion"