Social housing sales are of no benefit to workers

It was almost a fanfare announcement,  the Tories manifesto pledge to increase the sale of 'social housing'. It has always been a Tory plan to divide the people and create 'them and us' situations even within the working class. The sale of council houses under Margaret Thatcher did exactly this. But what the so called Iron Lady failed to do was re-invest money from the sales into building more social housing, choosing instead to use it to help fund tax cuts for the rich.

With the loss of council housing, entrepreneurial minded people foresee a shortage of properties in the rental sector and started to buy houses to let to those on the housing waiting list. Eventually this has led to some landlords owning large property portfolios, and some thinking solely of maximising profit, forcing tenants to live in poor conditions. Large numbers of private rented property also artificially inflates house prices beyond the wages of those on lower incomes, forcing them into the hands of private landlords, having to pay high rents and the likelihood of a significant number having to claim benefits to help pay the rent.

The Liberal Trade Unionists fear for workers faced with a lack of affordable properties to buy or rent. The Tories manifesto pledge can only be regarded as blatant bribery and one which will divide communities. Society is still suffering the effects from the days Margaret Thatcher sold off council housing stock. As Liberals we do not object to people owning their own homes. But what we do object to is the present stock of social housing being sold. We believe there should be greater freedoms for tenants of social housing to improve their properties, possibly with the housing association or council contributing towards the cost (as it is still their property). We also believe there should be more affordable homes for people that wish to get a foot on the property ladder.

Selling off social housing stock offers no benefit to the workers of this country. Allowing more freedom to improve properties for tenants of social housing, and constructing more affordable housing does. We call upon workers not to fall into the trap of Tory bribery and reject this proposal and another 5 years of the Tories as tenants of 'Number 10'.