Opposing social housing reform looks like a marginal issue

TrevorsDen

Hughes is just looking for an issue to use as a stick to promote his own standing.

Maybe he should concentrate on whats best for Britain rather than his prejudice. he might than be more successful in hiding his own ignorance

ajs

Get back in your closet, Hughes!

Captain Christy

What is the point of Simon Hughes ? - Can't Lembit find him a job ?

Mike Brighton

Simon Hughes is the happiest he has ever been politically, for once the papers give a monkeys about anything he thinks and says. So long as he's a dissident and the dull journalistic game is to find a split. Really does anyone give a toss what this walking hypocrite "the straight choice" thinks about anything. For a leftist like him to oppose a Tory PM is as surprising as bears defecating in the woods

Tulkinghorn

Hughes always misjudges
It is heartwarming to read the Cable interview in the Telegraph to see what happens when we bring the Leftist Liberals into the real world
Give Hughes a Job

ollie

Just what is the purpose of Simon Hughes?

Peter A

This is Hughes playing directly to his Southwark constituents who are primarily made up of the residents of the largest municipal housing department in London.Like all Libdems he is an opportunist and thinks only of his own seat which will be hard to defend come the next election.Southwark has just reinstalled a labour council and the local electorate will not easily forgive what they will see as treachery of the lowest kind.The hitherto effective socialist in Libdem clothing masquerade will be very had to maintain over the coming months.

Barry Bilge

"‘The poll also backs the idea, floated by the prime minister last week, that new tenants in council and social housing should have a limited term of five or 10 years before they have to make way for others if their circumstances have changed."

It should move people elsewhere if their circumstances *haven't* changed not penalise/inconvenience them if they have got out of the welfare trap. Move them where there are more jobs. Move them somewhere smaller, where accommodation is cheaper, travel easier or whatever else. The mooted idea looks like a massive disincentive.

Clear Memories

As with most of the UK's social problems, we all know the answer but an unholy alliance of the government, media and establishment won't address it - unfettered mass immigration.

The Mail today on one hand highlights the fact that only 10% of births are to white women (the birth mothers description of their own ethnicity) whilst on the other raising the point that primary school places are in very short supply. Sadly, the accompanying photo shows nothing but white faces!! We, the public know this is all b*ll***s but, somehow, the highly paid and supposedly intelligent reporter can't see the link.

The same applies in this story. There are plenty of houses but they are being handed out, at first preference, to those who have no right to be in the UK and they only want to live in the south-east. What social housing we have must first go to the deserving, indiginous population whose families have lived locally for generations. Secondly, it must go to those moving WITHIN the UK for economic reasons ie to take up paid employment.

All asylum seekers must comply with the UN charter and be removed to the first safe country they passed through - ie those on the boundaries of the EU. If they refuse to reveal their travel route, just send them to France and let them deal with the matter (it'll soon be solved there) We don't have boat people floating here direct from the worlds hell-holes.

ItsAlreadyTooLate

The YouGov poll would be more convincing if it showed the pecentage of council tenants who were polled, I suspect that the majority polled were homeowners.

alexsandr

latest government bollocks:
there is a shortage of houses so we need to bribe councils to give planning permission.

Bit of a disconnect here.
1. what shortage? there are loads of people who cant sell their house. building more houses will not help them. No-one is challenging the idea that there is a housing shortage.
2. there will be a permanant lowering of demand for private housing due to the banks being more dilligent in their lending, as they ask for larger deposits and enforce rules about multiples of earnings lent.
2. it is the council that get the bribe, but it is the locals who get the houses.

AndyLeeds

Hughes is in the wrong party. He should sod off to the Labour Party where he belongs and take dim witted Cable with him.

Social housing should be on leases just like a private landlord would do. The public can see this is logical and correct, it is only morons like Hughes and the stupid Labour Party (plus the BBC of course) who can't.

strapworld

Itsalreadytoolate, What would such a one sided survey prove? Nonsensical.

Is it right that one person resides in a three/four bedroomed house?

Is it right that council houses can be handed down to family?

Is it right that tenants should be given a tenancy agreement which does have a time limit?

In private sector tenancy's the agreement is six/twelve month short term with two month notice to quit or one month for the tenant. Obviously one can, subject to the landlords agreement, stay longer BUT the point is you have no exclusive rights to stay and hand the property over to familt members- as council tenants have been allowed to do.

Do you not agree that Council Houses have got a bad name these days because of the flotsom and jetsum which inhabit the estates ruining the lives of good decent tenants and nothing is done about them?

A short term tenancy agreement would ensure that people respect their properties and neighbours and, perhaps, we can get pride back into Council Houses and council estates generally.

It is time to rid these places of the anti social elements within all council estates and I see short term tenancy agreements FOR ALL new and old tenants, the answer to this major problem.

Personally, I would like to see all welfare cheats moved out of social housing and placed in one large caravan park, and the only way out is to get a job and find your own accomodation!

Dennis Churchill

Why is it hard to change the conditions of these tenancies when leaseholders were given the right to purchase additional years from their Freeholder regardless of whether the Freeholders wished to extend their lease? Leaseholds in law are tenancies after all.
We have a housing crisis due to Labour’s Open Door Immigration policy and it is time to face up to the consequences.

Boudicca

Private home owners generally move up the housing market and back down again during their lifetimes, so they provide suitable accommodation (within their means) for their families and many downsize at or near retirement.

That's what I'm planning to do; why shouldn't council tenants be required to do the same?

But as others have said, the problem isn't really lack of housing; it is an excess of immigrants. Until immigration is seriously curtailed and steps are taken to deny social housing to anyone who hasn't lived here and paid taxes for 10 years, the situation won't improve.

JohnAnt

Yet again, a first-line plug for the (£)Times.
The Hughes objections have been reported everywhere, so why the Times?
I note adverts for The Times on the Speccie website in extenso.
Declare your interest, Mr Spectator!