Author Archives: GovWorldMag

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, responding to new statistics on the replacement of homes sold under the right-to-buy, said:

“These figures show only one in five council homes sold under the right-to-buy has been replaced, despite the Conservatives promising one-for-one replacement.

“We desperately need more genuinely affordable homes, but the Conservatives’ right-to-buy means council homes are being sold off and communities are losing out. Too often these homes become buy-to-let investments rather than family homes, with higher rents costing the taxpayer millions more in housing benefit.

“Labour will invest in the biggest council house building programme in more than 30 years, and to ensure that areas can build and retain council homes for local people we will suspend the right-to-buy, allowing councils to reinstate it only if they can prove a plan to replace homes sold one-for-one and like-for-like.”

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Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the ONS Labour Market Statistics today, said:

“Today’s figures are further evidence of Tory economic failure, only a day after inflation rose to its highest level in over five-and-half years.

“Both employment and real wages are falling while the price of household essentials balloons, leaving millions of people worse off than they were in 2010.

“Eight million people in working households live in poverty, and many will struggle this Christmas as a direct result of this government’s austerity policies.

“Labour will protect living standards by introducing a £10 an hour real Living Wage, scrapping the public sector pay cap and reforming the government’s failing Universal Credit programme.”

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