This announcement by Labour that local people will be given priority in allocation of housing has important implications and indicates the Labour leadership wants to move away from its previous policy of allocation by "need": http://www.itv.com/news/2014-10-16/locals-and-first-time-buyers-given-priority-in-housing-market-labour-vows/
Until the late 1960s early 1970s Councils built council houses for local people in their area who needed a house.
The Labour amended the legislation so that this housing was allocated on the basis of "need" so that anyone in "need" who arrived at a council housing office was immediately given priority - in reality this meant recently arrived immigrants who tended to be poor and have large families and tended to vote in a bloc for Labour candidates.
In response Conservative governments sold off council housing rather than see the housing stock used by the Labour party to gerrymander constituencies.
Both these strategies were wrong, but Labour must carry the heaviest burden of responsibility for what happened to council housing in the United Kingdom - as they tacitly admit with the announcement today.
Will they now apologise for misusing the state housing stock to buy votes?
Until the late 1960s early 1970s Councils built council houses for local people in their area who needed a house.
The Labour amended the legislation so that this housing was allocated on the basis of "need" so that anyone in "need" who arrived at a council housing office was immediately given priority - in reality this meant recently arrived immigrants who tended to be poor and have large families and tended to vote in a bloc for Labour candidates.
In response Conservative governments sold off council housing rather than see the housing stock used by the Labour party to gerrymander constituencies.
Both these strategies were wrong, but Labour must carry the heaviest burden of responsibility for what happened to council housing in the United Kingdom - as they tacitly admit with the announcement today.
Will they now apologise for misusing the state housing stock to buy votes?
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