Exclusive

'Do you want him evicted?': Mick Lynch defends RMT deputy living in council flat on £78k

27 July 2022, 09:37 | Updated: 27 July 2022, 09:39

RMT Chief confronted on Deputy's council house

By Daisy Stephens

Mick Lynch has defended his deputy Eddie Dempsey after it was revealed he lives in council accommodation whilst in receipt of a five-figure salary.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Mr Lynch denied claims Mr Dempsey - who earns £78,000 - was "blocking" access to social housing for those who need it.

"I don't think he is blocking it at all," said the RMT boss.

"What he got is his council flat that he got as a person on the register when he was a railway worker, and he and his partner live there with his children and they have the tenancy like all council tenants do, and when he's ready to move I assume he'll move.

Read more: RMT boss accused of blocking 8% deal says it ‘doesn’t come close’ as strikes cripple UK

Read more: RMT union announce another Tube strike with workers set to walkout on August 19

"It's not a question of 'when you earn a few more bob you get evicted from your council flat', that certainly didn't happen to me when I lived [in one]."

Mr Lynch said his deputy had been in the post since October, at which point he already lived in the property.

"What do you want him to do?" He said.

"Be evicted because he's got a new job?"

Nick Ferrari asks RMT Chief Mick Lynch why he hasn't put a pay offer to his members

Mr Lynch then said social housing should be diverse and house people of "all incomes".

"What we need is more council houses so that people from all sorts of incomes can live in mixed environments," he said.

"When I was living in a council flat in the 60s and 70s with my parents there were people from all sorts of backgrounds living in council flats.

Read more: Devastated mum's tribute to 'wonderful' Brit, 22, killed in freak helicopter accident

Read more: 'Chestfeeding’ support as doctors set out guidelines for trans men giving birth

"The problem is that the government stopped building council flats and houses so that we can't have that mixed environment in our inner cities, with people living comfortably side by side from all sorts of backgrounds.

"And what we need is a mixed environment with people of all income levels living cooperatively in council accommodation, and I don't believe he should be evicted because he's got a new job."

Shapps: We can't allow union dinosaurs to keep holding us back

Mr Dempsey lives in council-subsidised accommodation in Islington.

The Daily Mail reports the borough has the 13th longest social housing waiting list in England, with 14,000 households on need of accommodation.

Read more: Boris and Carrie 'planning to hold wedding do at billionaire Tory donor's home'

Read more: Tory leadership debate cancelled after presenter Kate McCann faints on air

Mr Lynch also discussed Wednesday's train strikes, defending a decision not to put a pay offer to the union's members.

"The deal comes nowhere near meeting our demands in the dispute," he said.

"We conducted the vote for our members on what the demands in the dispute are, we haven’t had an offer that matches that - that’s plain.

"[Network Rail’s offer] does not meet the demands of our members.

"We know they are unacceptable because our members have told us that."

Jeremy Corbyn arrives at the RMT's Euston picket line

Over 40,000 rail workers are striking on Wednesday.

Fourteen train operating companies are taking action in an ongoing row over pay, jobs and conditions, which saw the network upended by the biggest rail strike in modern history last month.

More Nick Ferrari

See more More Nick Ferrari

Exclusive
‘The storm of war is gathering’: Defence cuts leave UK critically unprepared for a 'bumpy decade', warns ex-minister

‘The storm of war is gathering’: Defence cuts leave UK 'woefully unprepared' for a 'bumpy decade', warns ex-minister

Education Secretary Bridget Philipson 'hasn't changed her mind' and will vote against assisted dying bill

Education Secretary Bridget Philipson 'hasn't changed her mind' and will vote against assisted dying bill

Nick Ferrari takes to the streets of the US to ask Americans: 'Can you identify these British politicians?'

Nick Ferrari takes to the streets of the US to ask Americans: 'Can you identify these British politicians?'

Why did Trump win and why did Harris lose? Nick Ferrari asks American voters

Why did Trump win and Harris lose? Nick Ferrari asks American voters in the wake of US election results

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the United States'

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the US'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she strongly disagrees with a tweet that a backbench MP appeared to have reposted saying Kemi Badenoch represents "white supremacy in blackface".

Cooper condemns 'appalling' tweet shared by Dawn Butler labelling Kemi Badenoch 'white supremacy in blackface'

Exclusive
Cumberland County: Where the US election could be won or lost

Nick Ferrari travels to America for the US Election: Watch the best bits here

Exclusive
The Chancellor was speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

Chancellor ‘doesn’t know’ salary of new chairman tasked with ensuring government ‘value for money'

Transparency over Southport stabbings key to avoiding 'deep public mistrust in the criminal justice system', says Jenrick

Transparency over Southport stabbings key to avoiding 'deep public mistrust' in criminal justice system, says Jenrick

Exclusive
The government has introduced its football governance bill.

'We're on the same side': Minister denies feud with Premier League over Football Governance Bill

Exclusive
Protest sign reading Danger water pollution, this water is polluted with raw sewage. The responsible party is Thames Water. River Wey, Guildford, UK

Government warns demand for water could outstrip supply as they launch review into 'broken' sector

Nick Ferrari.

'He'll look over his shoulder for the rest of his life': Concern for Martyn Blake's privacy long overdue

Exclusive
'No one gutsy enough to address this': Mylene Klass calls on government to introduce paid miscarriage leave.

Government not 'gutsy' enough to implement paid miscarriage leave claims Myleene Klass

Exclusive
David Cameron speaks to LBC

David Cameron calls for UK to sanction two Israeli ministers as change on arms embargo 'didn't satisfy anybody'

'I wouldn't do it again': Jenrick suggests regret for painting over murals at children’s asylum centre.

'I wouldn't do it again': Robert Jenrick says he regrets ordering workers to paint over murals at children’s asylum centre

Exclusive
Where did all the fish go? Feargal Sharkey uncovers dangerous blue-green algae plaguing River Wye

Where did all the fish go? Feargal Sharkey uncovers dangerous blue-green algae plaguing River Wye