Andew Stunell MP responds to Nick Raynsford’s critique of his coulmn on coalition housing policy
Nick Raynsford’s facts are in short supply once again (“Housing record is no cause for celebration”, 28 March 2014, page 26). In 13 years of Labour government more than 500,000 council homes were sold off, and just 90,000 built, a net loss of 421,000 homes – while 750,000 families joined the waiting list. Those replacement homes were then let at a greatly enhanced housing association rate, linked to “rent convergence” designed to bring all council rents up to the same level. Meanwhile the “Treasury Tax” gouged £600m of rents each year.
Since 2010 the coalition has scrapped the Treasury Tax, funded a net increase of 160,000 social homes, notched up the 4 millionth home, and put in place a £3.3bn social housing programme post 2015 - something Labour “forgot” to do, which wasted us a year in 2010.
Andrew Stunell MP, Liberal Democrat
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