The decision to suspend four Labour MPs and take away the role of three trade envoys, following the row over the ill-health and disability benefit cuts, runs counter to the government's promise to engage with back benchers. It is completely unprecedented for 127 Labour MPs to sign a 'reasoned amendment' which would kill a government … Continue reading Reinstate the suspended MPs
“Reforming Right to Buy” – a missed opportunity
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
Rachel Reeves’ CLP calls for 100,000 council homes year and affiliates to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
Leeds West and Pudsey Constituency Labour Party, for which Rachel Reeves is the MP, has passed a motion calling for, amongst other things, 100,000 council homes a year and ending Right to Buy. It agreed to affiliate to our campaign; the second Leeds CLP to do so. The passing of the resolution reflects the widespread … Continue reading Rachel Reeves’ CLP calls for 100,000 council homes year and affiliates to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
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
RMT AGM housing resolution
The recent RMT AGM passed this housing resolution. “That this RMT AGM 2025 notes the housing crisis, particularly affecting young, low-paid and disabled workers in the UK who can’t afford to buy or rent in the private sector. We note: The lack of appropriate government funding to invest in social rented homes. The financial risk … Continue reading RMT AGM housing resolution
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
All Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to abandon its cuts to disability benefits
“The evidence received by this inquiry makes it clear that the government’s proposed reforms to disability benefits, as outlined in the ‘Pathways to Work Green Paper’ will only make life more precarious for disabled people, potentially pushing hundreds of thousands of people further into poverty and will only further entrench existing inequalities.” All Party Parliamentary … Continue reading All Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to abandon its cuts to disability benefits
Homelessness – “The government’s response does little to inspire confidence”
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Homelessness has commented on the government's response to report, England's Homesless Children: the crisis in temporaryaccommodation. In a scathing statement Chair Flo Eshalomi “Last year, a record 127,000 households faced homelessness, with devastating impacts to their health, work and education. When so many families are facing this crisis, the … Continue reading Homelessness – “The government’s response does little to inspire confidence”
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
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 