"That successive governments have presided over a legislative framework that treats housing as an asset for the rich while pricing out the poor shouldn't surprise us. When a third of our MPs are buy-to-let landlords and prominent cabinet figures such as Phillip Hammond own property development firms, we realise that there is not only an ideological divide between politicians and the public but a conflict of interest too.
Why else would two Tory MPs, one of whom is a landlord himself, fillibuster a piece of legislation designed to stop landlords pursuing "revenge evictions" against tentants that complain about a fault with their property. Why else would we see Richard Benyon MP, whose family property firm managed the New Era estate in Hoxton and planned to increase rents by more than 200%, come into direct conflict with some of the most needy and vulnerable in our society.
Perhaps most symbolic of this divide between them and us is found in the Tory's support for the bedroom tax and their concurrent aversion to any form of mansion tax. Blinkered by self interest and ideology our ruling elite see no problem in pushing one in seven of those at the bottom of society into rent arrears, further poverty and towards possible eviction while refusing to tax the most valuable 0.5% of homes."
This is from an email on opendemocracy.
This is why landlords are able to scare people like vampirequeen.
Anyone in London, Occupy are having an occupation tomorrow. It's on the opendemocracy website.
