Labour……I really tried but have now given up!

Iam64

Is it me or is gransnet becoming a much less interesting place

No, it’s not just you. We seem to be losing the power of debate, people just post the same tropes all the time, like Pavlov’s dogs. Press the Angela Rayner button for more of the same.

Yet again, Sago, it would be a good idea for you to look beyond headlines. Were you to do so you would know that the former government’s consultation document about social housing was only published on 30 January 2024 and only applied to England. There were no plans. The consultation lasted for eight weeks from 30 January 2024:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-reforms-to-social-housing-allocations/consultation-on-reforms-to-social-housing-allocations

You might ask yourself why the government had done nothing to address this issue before then. Numbers of migrants have been escalating rapidly since they came to power and particularly since and because of Brexit.

Liz Davies KC of Garden Court Chambers:

www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk/news/social-welfare-updates/government-consultation-on-reforms-to-social-housing-allocations-publicised-as-british-homes-for-british-workers

Extract:

The consultation document presents no evidence that the presence of those who are not British citizens waiting for an allocation of social housing is problematic. The opposite is the case: the people caught by these proposals will be eligible for homelessness assistance. If local housing authorities cannot put them onto their allocation schemes, then they will either be trapped in temporary accommodation for up to ten years, or they will be given private rented offers (which may, or may not, last for ten years). This proposal will lead to further costs in temporary accommodation, whilst households live in insecure and often poor conditions.

The bigger political concern is the government’s preparedness to engage in dog-whistling rhetoric, setting up migrants as the problem instead of acknowledging that the crisis in social housing (and housing more generally) caused by years of diminution of social housing stock.

We all know that since the Housing Act of 1980, millions of council homes have been sold off and not replaced in sufficient numbers.

Last year, government's own figures revealed there was a net loss of 12,000 social homes in England, with sales and demolitions surpassing the number of homes built. Statistics show that 22,023 social homes were either sold or demolished in 2023.Over a 10 year period, a total of 212,590 social homes were sold off while a further 58,772 were demolished. This compares to the 93,875 that were delivered between 2012/13 and 2022/23, marking a net loss of 177,487 social homes. (Source: Crisis)

The care cap and restriction of WFP have both been discussed extensively elsewhere.

In a nutshell - what Labour has done:

• Restricted the WFP to those who need it most as the Tories were considering in 2019 and ordered an urgent review and action to encourage more pensioners to claim the benefits to which they are entitled.

* Cancelled the unfunded plan to introduce a care cap. Note that the lack of funded commitments on social care in the Labour manifesto was similar to the position put forward by the Conservatives in their own manifesto.

* Not followed through on a consultation which presented no evidence that the presence of those who are not British citizens waiting for an allocation of social housing is problematic.

It is ridiculous to criticise a one-month old Labour government for the failings of a fourteen-year-old Tory government and particularly for the crisis in social housing which had been set in motion by the Thatcher government of 1979 and never properly addressed.

Did you know that by 2017, over 40% of homes sold under Right-to-Buy were in the hands of private landlords who charge three times more than a social rent? (Source New Economic Foundation). How is that right and fair?

That 2017 report showed that Milton Keynes was the "Right-to-Buy capital" with over 70% of flats sold under RtB now in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). In Lee Anderson's Ashfield constituency, over 45% of RtB properties were in the PRS.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/exclusive-7-rise-in-former-right-to-buy-homes-now-rented-privately-53507

Yes within a month of the conservatives coming into power I had to sit with my 13 year old severely disabled daughter to see how they cut taxpayer spending on her, in front of her, it carried on
As if she was the evil in the uk trying to spend the taxpayers money
Unbelievable really
If the rhetoric carries on, I’ll let you know

Is it me or is gransnet becoming a much less interesting place

eazybee

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

“A woman such as….”
I can’t believe I am reading this. Well actually, given some attitudes on GN I can believe it only too easily.

I know, it’s not good enough.
How long has Labour had - a whole 6 weeks?
How long did the Tories have? A mere 12 years.
Tut, tut!
Just not good enough

It’s only been a month

Iam64 absolutely. Well said.

Well said @Cadeby and @Iam64

Bags-3PJ - thanks so much for this and earlier posts. Is clear that those `some Posters are waiting to pounce on Labour policies, especially if Angela Rayner has been involved. She’s reminded me of a young Barbara Castle but one who has risen above a. Rey difficult childhood to succeed. The snobbery demonstrated towards her by some says much more about them than it does about her.

Primrose53

Whitewavemark2

Callistemon213

But it is always interesting to read post that are entirely critical of the Labour government as they usually re-confirm the reason why I voted labour.

Do you think Operation Scatter is a good idea, then, Whitewave?

Personally I don't, partly for the reasons I give above.
People will arrive frightened and traumatised and sent to goodness knows where.

They need to speed up the processing system, certainly, but this is surely not the answer.

I haven’t seen it reported yet.

Busy day

But assuming I agree with you. I would be a bit stupid to give up on the government after one month don’t you think?

We’ve just emerged from 14 very, very long years of mismanagement of the economy, policies that divided the nation, ministers that were either moral vacuums, weak leaders, liars and complicit in racism, to say nothing about some very questionable so called friendships with Russian KGB and oligarchs.

the Times were first to report it 5 days ago.

Not everybody is hovering about waiting to fan the flames of a pathological dislike of people who don't quite match up to yourself somehow.

Oldbat1

eazybee

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

What a disgraceful comment!

Par for the Course really.

@eazybee
So a woman like Angela Rayner isn’t suited to high office?
She reminds me of a young Barbara Castle, with fire in her belly and passion for the job.
Is your remark due to her class, sex, or age.
Imho all three of those make her more than suited to high office with the Labour Party.
Thank goodness we have seen off the privileged yahoos who jetted up and down in jets and helicopters or partied during lockdown.
What a shower.

Siope

How will local authority and housing association allocation processes be changed by this alleged change? Will they still retain autonomy to respond to local need and set their own criteria? If not, who will?

A while ago I was in the housing office.
This is the conversation I heard.
A Young asylum seeker was at the counter with an interpreter.
He showed his documents to show that he had been given leave to stay.
The housing officer told him it was his responsibility to find his own accommodation.

eazybee

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

What a disgraceful comment!

Whitewavemark2

Callistemon213

But it is always interesting to read post that are entirely critical of the Labour government as they usually re-confirm the reason why I voted labour.

Do you think Operation Scatter is a good idea, then, Whitewave?

Personally I don't, partly for the reasons I give above.
People will arrive frightened and traumatised and sent to goodness knows where.

They need to speed up the processing system, certainly, but this is surely not the answer.

I haven’t seen it reported yet.

Busy day

But assuming I agree with you. I would be a bit stupid to give up on the government after one month don’t you think?

We’ve just emerged from 14 very, very long years of mismanagement of the economy, policies that divided the nation, ministers that were either moral vacuums, weak leaders, liars and complicit in racism, to say nothing about some very questionable so called friendships with Russian KGB and oligarchs.

the Times were first to report it 5 days ago.

I'm sure Labour will make mistakes but we had 14 years of very poor government from the Tories and the LD coalition. I think we should give Labour plenty of time to deal with some very difficult problems they inherited.

eazybee

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

Do I detect the rancid stench of snobbery

A close friend worked for years in the Housing department of a South London borough. Migrants were brought from Dover, where they had landed, to diverse localities in Southern England and often needed larger properties - houses - because extended families were the norm. It was difficult to explain to people who had been on a waiting list for years and wanted a house in exchange for a flat, but the demands of people who were homeless came first. There is nothing new about the policy that Angela Rayner is advocating - my friend retired over fifteen years ago, and this policy has been in practice for many years.

eazybee

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

What exactly do you mean?

This is what happens when you appoint a woman such as Angela Rayner to a position of authority within government.

Primrose53

Rayner has now come up with what she thinks is a brilliant plan - Operation Scatter.

She is going to scatter asylum seekers around the UK in former care homes, empty houses etc.

that is a great idea, I'd love that but it would have to be considered whether the place and possible lack of community is right for them. I think they'd be welcomed in the leafy cotswolds where I live. Some communities have felt overwhelmed, people have said to me 'if you go to ??? you can't see a white face,' my response is always so what but if some areas have felt overwhelmed it makes sense to spread them around a little

Btw Sago giving up on anything after five short weeks is a bit lame! I cannot believe you were really giving the LP a chance at all.

MaizieD

There was a thread about Asylum Seekers and housing on twitter today, by a barrister, which people might find interesting here.

Here it is 'unrolled'
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1821565332546326925.html

Here is the original thread, with comments and nested threads

x.com/SqueakinglyJen/status/1821565332546326925

Thank you.

Though frankly it doesn’t seem to matter how “myths” are busted around Asylum Seekers the same rhetoric is repeated time after time.

Grandmabatty

I think I'll give them longer than a month before I give up on them. You had Tories in charge for 14 years with any number of Prime Ministers, some voted for, many not. At what stage did you give up on them?

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