The Labour party has issued a consultation on housing.
Specifically, it wants to know how the supply of affordable homes both to rent and buy can be increased.
Accusing the Government of having failed to build the affordable homes needed, the document says that tackling the housing crisis “means drawing on the best of what Labour did in government”.
The paper says it will also draw on its policy work in the last five years and come up with fresh thinking.
The paper says: “With Labour in government, we built two million homes, a million more households became home-owners, council and and housing association homes received much-needed investment to bring them up to a decent standard, and towards the end of our time in government we made the biggest investment in affordable homes for a generation.”
The document then asks what people believe were the best achievements of the Labour government; in what areas should it have done more; and which housing policies in the last manifesto resonated with voters.
The paper also wants to know how standards in the private rented sector can be raised.
In particular, it criticises high rents and the ability of landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice.
The results of the consultation will help shape Labour policy.
Comments (5)
“drawing on the best of what Labour did in Government” That’s hardly a good starting point.
The best way to rob pension holders of their pension?
The best excuse for starting a war?
The best way to hand over a prime ministership without letting the people decide?
The best way to sell a county’s gold reserves?
The best way to blame someone else for their own inaction?
They had 13 years in power and according to the DCLG’s house building stats, new build under their regime averaged 143,500 a year. The previous Maggie/Major regime delivered over 170,000 a year.
Ah but, the keep the red flag flying brigade will say, that was all just to feather the nest of those that can afford to buy and those dreadful landlords who keep buying property so people can have somewhere to rent.
Well according to this report Labour made ‘the biggest investment in affordable homes for a generation’.
Their definition of a generation is different to mine, the last 5 years of Major’s government saw nearly 20% more HA homes built than Blair/Brown’s last 5 years (DCLG stats again).
So a generation is now officially 13 years, you heard it here first!
“Specifically, it wants to know how the supply of affordable homes both to rent and buy can be increased.”
1. Build more houses
2. See above
“means drawing on the best of what Labour did in government” what was that then? create a 25% fall in the market, introduce ultra low interest rates and snuffle up private portfolios as lucrative personal wealth generation and pension plans.
When labour were in government 1m more became homeowners…were they the million that should never have been given credit? The 125% LTV Northern Rock “together” mortgages or possibly the Birmingham Midshires “self cert” ones?