Labour

The Prime Minister and Housing Minister are in denial on the biggest housing crisis in a generation - Dromey

Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, responding to Grant Shapps speech, said:

“The Prime Minister and Housing Minister are completely out of touch and in denial on the biggest housing crisis in a generation.
 
“We have almost two million people languishing on council house waiting lists, house building is falling, homelessness is rising, first-time buyers are locked out of the mortgage market and rents are soaring in the private rented sector.

“Rather than tackling this crisis, Grant Shapps chooses to recycle and re-announce policies as if that alone builds houses.  If we had a home for every press statement by the Housing Minister we would not be facing the biggest housing crisis in a generation.”
 
On Grant Shapps’ comments that he is proud of the focus on housing and that he intends to “bring the housing strategy to life quickly”, Jack Dromey said:
 
“Grant Shapps says he is proud of the focus on housing, a focus so intense that the first thing George Osborne did was to cut £4 billion from the housing budget leading to a 99% fall in affordable housing starts and 99% fall in starts for homes for Social Rent.
 
“When he says 'bring to life quickly' the Government’s widely criticised Housing Strategy, it is certainly in urgent need of resuscitation because this is the worst housing crisis in a generation.”