“Everyone has the right to a decent, secure home. In 1945, Labour promised to ‘proceed with a housing programme with the maximum practical speed until every family in this island has a good standard of accommodation’.
In 2019, we renew that pledg…Read more…
Open letter: Put radical housing policies in Labour’s manifesto
Below is the open letter by Labour Campaign for Council Housing in full.To Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and John Healey,We the undersigned welcome the unanimous support of Labour conference for:Building 100,000 social rented council homes a year;…Read more…
Labour shoud kill off Right to Buy, not breathe new life into it
This article was written before the Labour conference in response to a Financial Times article which reported that Labour was … MoreRead more…
Right to Buy: Wrong for London
“Dear John
Tomorrow I’m publishing a new report which reveals the extent to which former council homes sold through the Right to Buy are now being rented out by private landlords. In advance of its publication I wanted to share some of the individual b…Read more…
“Newham at forefront of Housing Crisis”
Hat tip Newham Recorder for a pretty full on report on the housing crisis in our borough.
The new mayor of Newham has slammed the loss of nearly 10,000 council homes under Right to Buy since the 1980s – saying the policy has exacerbated the bitter hou…Read more…
‘Reckless’ scheme
Local authorities only have enough funds to replace less than a third of the number council homes sold under the government’s controversial right-to-buy scheme over the past six years, new research…Read more…
“Councils face replacement property drought”
Two-thirds of councils will be unable to replace all the homes sold under Right to Buy without significant reform of the system, according to the Local Government Association.The LGA this week released research it commissioned from property consultancy…Read more…
Over a million people on Council waiting list. Let’s turn Benefits into Bricks?
Many thanks to Shelter for their report highlighting the National Housing waiting list crisis. There is more than a million people on UK Housing waiting lists. Newham is highlighted as having proportionally the worse crisis in the entire country. …Read more…
Labour should end Right to Buy
During his first leadership election Jeremy Corbyn was interviewed by Red Brick, the blog of London Labour Housing Group. He was asked about the issue of Right to Buy (RTB). He responded that he would vote against the extension of RTB to housing associ…Read more…
Is Labour’s Housing policy shifting leftwards?
Is Labour’s housing policy shifting leftwards? It’s official policy of suspending Right to Buy (RTB) sales was introduced by Teresa Pearce1 when she was temporarily Shadow Housing Minister. This was after John Healey had participated in the…Read more…
Excellent update on extending the “right to buy” to Housing associations by enforced sale council assets – Redbrick blog
The strange case of a government housing policy that won’t happenby stevehilditch
By Ross FraserEveryone in the sector will recall the surprise late insertion into the 2015 Conservative election manifesto of a policy to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants – funded by the…Read more…
Housing speech at UNISON National Labour Link Forum
John Gray, speaking on behalf of your National Labour Link Committee in favour of motion 11 (similar) “Why we need to build a new housing consensus for affordable and decent homes for all”
as amended.
“Chair, Forum, In 1945 General electio…Read more…
#UNDC “Why we need to build a new housing consensus for affordable and decent homes for all”
This is the speech I gave on Thursday on behalf of the NEC about the Housing motion put forward by London Region and my branch.
“Conference/Chair
John Gray, Community NEC, speaking in favour of motion 36 as amended. I happen also to…Read more…
Homelessness and the Housing Revenue Account
Swindon Council’s second raid on the housing account As Swindon Council faces the decline of central government Revenue Support Grant year on year, it has scrabbled around desperately looking for ways of saving money. Its imposition of parish councils on the town without a democratic mandate…Read more…
“Axe the Housing Act”: UNISON Motion to London Labour Conference 2016
This is below a motion by Greater London UNISON Regional Labour Link to the London Labour Party Conference next Saturday 12 November.
“Housing continues to be the biggest challenge that Londoners face in the capital today with many who grew up in…Read more…
Right-to-buy promises failing
Tory promises to build one home for every one sold under the controversial right-to-buy scheme are flatlining, with the National Audit Office (NAO) warning that a “fivefold increase” in new…Read more…
Newham UNISON AGM 2016: Right to Buy and Pay to Stay
Last Friday I was a guest speaker at the UNISON Newham Local Government branch AGM in East Ham Town Hall on the Housing Bill which is currently going through the House of Lords. I was there as a Housing Worker and UNISON Regional Council Officer.
Glor…Read more…
Extending the “Right to Buy” to Housing Associations and “Pay to Stay”.
“Pay to Stay” seems to be finally making the news. This is the speech I made at the UNISON London regional AGM this month, while moving my branches motion on this and “Right to buy”. The motion was passed unanimously and will go to the UNISON national …Read more…
Housing Associations capitulate over ‘right to buy’
When the idea of the extension of ‘right to buy’ to housing associations was first floated housing association representative, including David Orr, head of the National Housing Federation (the ‘trade organisation’ of housing associations) were talking of fighting the…Read more…
London Reception #Lab15
After arriving at the hotel in Brighton and picking up my delegation pack from unison office, I went to my first conference event, the London Labour Party reception.
This is the annual shin dig for London delegates and Party members. London Labour Cha…Read more…