Having reduced the discount for Right to Buy by executive action (varying from £16,000 to £38,000), the government is proposing a number of reforms (see below) which will require legislation “when Parliamentary time allows”. These are obviously designed to cut the number of sales. No surprise, as we said they would, the Tories have denounced … Continue reading “Reforming Right to Buy” – a missed opportunity
Category: Labour government
Step up the campaign for 90,000+ social rent homes a year
18,000 social rent homes a year does not make a 'social rent revolution' The Ministry of Housing has announced that its £39 billion programme over 10 years will fund 180,000 social rent homes. They call this a 'social rent revolution'. 18,000 social rent homes a year is no sort of revolution. When you factor in … Continue reading Step up the campaign for 90,000+ social rent homes a year
Step up the pressure for 90,000+ social rent homes a year
“The new investment pales by comparison with the scale of housing need...” Kate Henderson of the National Housing Federation, and others, have described the housing package announced in the Spring Spending Review as “transformational”. This is hyperbole. Jules Birch is closer to the mark when he wrote in Inside Housing that “The new investment pales … Continue reading Step up the pressure for 90,000+ social rent homes a year
Drop the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill
At the time of writing more than 120 Labour MPs have signed a "reasoned amendment" which "declines to give a Second Reading" to the Bill, threatening to kill it off. If all the opposition MPs supported the amendment then the government would be defeated. If the Tories were to come to the government's rescue, it … Continue reading Drop the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill
Spring Spending Review initial response
All available funding should go to social rent homes - £3.9 billion a year is insufficient to resolve the housing crisis The delayed Spring Spending Review included the announcement that the Affordable Homes Programme would provide £39 billion over ten years, an average of £3.9 billion a year. Whilst this is an improvement on the … Continue reading Spring Spending Review initial response
Rachel Reeves CLP opposes disability benefit cuts
Rachel Reeves own Constituency Party, Leeds West and Pudsey, has opposed the ill-health and disability benefit cuts that the government is proposing to push through. There was no support for the policy. Below is the motion that was passed. No cuts to Disability benefits Our Labour government has announced cuts of more than £6bn to … Continue reading Rachel Reeves CLP opposes disability benefit cuts
“Tough on developers, big on building council housing”
Chris Hinchliff, Labour MP for NE Hertfordshire, contests the government's strategy on planning. He says that its “Time for a left alternative on planning: tough on developers, big on building council housing.” In an article written for PoliticsHome he says that the government is mis-diagnosing the roots of the housing crisis “The misdiagnosis on supply … Continue reading “Tough on developers, big on building council housing”
The government should abandon its ill-health and disability benefit cuts
Our campaign is calling on Labour MPs to demand the government abandon these cuts. If it proceeds with them then they should vote against them. We share the widespread outrage at the government's proposed cuts to ill-health and disability benefits. The Guardian got it right when it said “It is shameful for a Labour government … Continue reading The government should abandon its ill-health and disability benefit cuts
Austerity by another name: “Exceptional Financial Support”
There can be no resolution of the housing crisis without a break from austerity The financial crisis of local government is spiralling out of control. 30 councils have been granted “Exceptional Financial Support” which offers no support but only more debt. Does this impact on Housing Revenue Accounts, which are 'ring-fenced'? How does the crisis … Continue reading Austerity by another name: “Exceptional Financial Support”
Above inflation rent increase won’t resolve the council housing financial crisis
Rather than proposing to increase the financial pressure on tenants with above inflation rent increases, councils should be seeking the support of tenants in a campaign for the government to fund HRAs sufficiently to maintain and improve existing homes. Support for the government's proposal for 5 years of above inflation rent increases for council and … Continue reading Above inflation rent increase won’t resolve the council housing financial crisis
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 