Right To Buy

[tonyav]

The tories, party of the working people.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/generalelection2015/david-cameron-revives-right-to-buy-and-says-tories-are-the-party-of-working-people/ar-AAaXBbf

[excelsior-1]

.......and your opinion on this, tony?

(my flat was owned by the council, and i was a tenant, then i took advantage of this scheme back in the late eighties, thus purchasing the flat at 30% of market value)

[tonyav]

I'm not against it, excel. To tell the truth though I didn't know that the 'Right to buy' had ever gone away.

[excelsior-1]

it probably never did go away - it has simply not been the political headliner that it was in the beginning - until now

[wolf63]

My brother and I did well out of the scheme when our parents died. Not a great amount of dosh - but money is money!

[Old_Geezer]

There is no right to buy, it is a misnomer. It is a bribe for votes from those in council owned property, using a "discount" offer which is funded by the taxpayer. An activity which also then ensures insufficient housing remaining to rent out to less well off folk in the future.

It was a scummy action in the past by appalling dodgy politicians, and it seems we still have these abusers of public money for their own ends with us today. There should be a law that ensures those in a position to force abuse of taxpayers money have to reimburse it to the public coffers from their own pocket; not only the cost of what they did but the cost of putting it right again too. With a debtors' prison awaiting those who fail to put things right.

[Milvus]

The headline is inaccurate. The government aren't reviving the right to buy, that is still in place. The government are extending the right to buy to include housing association tenants. These aren't included in the current schem

[tonyav]

Yep, it's still there.
https://www.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home/overview

[tonyav]

Good point OG, there has been a lot of council house stock sold but never replaced.

[ToraToraTora]

Usual tripe from OG, it is a wonderful scheme to get otherwise disenfranchised people to have a stake in society. Look at the old council estates near you OG and open your eyes, see if you can spot who has bought their council house. This is a wonderful scheme and Dave has ironed out the one flaw in TGL's almost immaculate plan, they can build new homes with the proceeds. Wonderful move. It seems that OG et al would prefer that potential buyers remain tennants and never own their own home.

[ichkeria]

This is an extension rather than a revival - applied to House Associations.

[Retrochic]

Utterly ridiculous in a country where there is not enough public sector rented housing available. People living in housing association homes will be offered them at a cut down price, while people living with parents or paying huge rents in the private sector will be left to fork out 30% more to purchase similar private houses. Another stupid stunt by the Tories to secure votes from the working class sectors.

[-Talbot-]

This is a wonderful scheme and Dave has ironed out the one flaw in TGL's almost immaculate plan, they can build new homes



You seem to be well informed TTT...what did The Ghastly Lady do with the proceeds from the selling of housing stock?

[ToraToraTora]

That went to the individual councils of all political persuations talbot.

[naomi24]

As has been said this is an extension of the Right to Buy scheme which was originally a Labour initiative and was part of their election manifesto in 1959. They lost.

[mikey4444]

TTT...why be rude to OG ? Can't you disagree with him without using nasty language ?

You and I have debated the RTB issue on previous occasions, here on AB, and I fairly sure that you thought it was a bad idea not to allow Local Councils to use the money raised by sales, to rebuild the missing housing stock. One of the main reasons that we have the appalling housing crisis that we have today if the lack of available houses for rent, at affordable prices.

If this new plan by dave doesn't have the same conditions placed upon it as the previous edition of the RTB, than I am in favour of it, which might surprise you ! Any money raised MUST be put back into more houses.

But OG is correct in that this is a cynical attempt by the current Tory Party to bribe those that fall outside of the regular Tory electorate, to vote Tory.

To quote from the BBC website this morning ::

"Now the Tories admit that they can't force the housing associations - who hate being forced to sell their properties - to replace the sold homes. But they insist that if the associations chose to shrink and shrivel, the funds will be directed to the construction of starter homes in other ways. In other words, there is a risk that - for a few years at least - the policy would lead to a contraction in the supply of affordable rented housing"

So if he can't force the Housing associations to sell their housing stock, this Manifesto promise will fall flat on its back.

The housing crisis could be solved in Britain today, by building more Council Housing, just like what happened in the post war years, under both Labour and the Tories. It would provide a much needed boost for the housing industry,take people off the dole, as well as take 10,000's of people out on B+B accommodation.

Whats not like ?

[naomi24]

Gosh Mikey! It's a miracle! We’ve agreed twice in one day!! It is a good idea – as long as the money raised is invested back into building affordable rental properties which is, as far as I can see, what the Conservatives are suggesting.

[-Talbot-]

That went to the individual councils of all political persuations talbot.


With a stipulation that they were not allowed to spend the money on new housing stock...why?

The right to buy has been a disaster.

[bazwillrun]

"this is a cynical attempt by the current Tory Party to bribe those "

and we all know that labour wouldnt dare make cynical attempts to bribe voters, after all they do seem to think they own the moral highground.....gnarf gnarf gnarf

[cassa333]

Although put a little more abruptly than I would have said I do agree with OG. I have had to work blooming hard to buy my house. NO ONE gave me a discount because I was on a low wage. I just got on and did it. I now own my home outright and I didn't go cap in hand for a hand out of a considerable discount only then to make money out of it.

Perhaps if the profit had gone back to the public purse then I MIGHT feel a bit differently.

[naomi24]

cassa333, me too – but times change. There are schemes now to help people buy in the private sector too.