Submitted by Newcastle on 9 July, 2009 - 2:54
Among the Labour government’s new announcements is that it will “enable local authorities to give more priority to local people” on council-house waiting lists.
This populist ploy echoes the notorious “sons and daughters” policy of the Liberal council in Tower Hamlets in the 1990s, which solves no housing problems but served only to point the finger of blame for mammoth waiting lists at immigrants. It is doubly dangerous at a time when the BNP and UKIP are growing.
As the “Defend Council Housing” campaign says, “A massive programme of new councing housing is the answer... not to pit those on the waiting list against each other”.
