Category: Housing

  • Sarah Jones – 2020 Comments on the Grenfell Inquiry

    Sarah Jones – 2020 Comments on the Grenfell Inquiry

    The comments made by Sarah Jones, the Shadow Policing and Fire Minister, on 6 September 2020.

    Over three years after Grenfell, it is shameful how little progress has been made. The Government has continuously broken their promises, while tens of thousands of people across the country are stuck living in unsafe flats. The victims and survivors of Grenfell are still waiting for justice. This is completely unacceptable.

    Labour’s amendment to the Bill is an attempt to force the Government to deliver the recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase One Report. Every measure necessary should be put in place to prevent a fire like Grenfell from ever happening again. We urge the Government to honour their promises and back the amendment and get the work done.

  • Mike Amesbury – 2020 Comments on CMA Decision

    Mike Amesbury – 2020 Comments on CMA Decision

    The comments made by Mike Amesbury, the Shadow Housing and Planning Minister, on 4 September 2020.

    Labour welcomes this enforcement action by the CMA and called for robust measures to be taken against scandalous practices from irresponsible property developers.

    This is a significant milestone in the campaign for leasehold justice but given this incompetent Government’s total inaction to reform leasehold, too many people remain trapped in this feudal system.

    This Government can no longer drag its heels: it must act now and legislate to end this broken system once and for all.

  • Karl Turner – 2020 Comments on Eviction Ban

    Karl Turner – 2020 Comments on Eviction Ban

    The comments made by Karl Turner, the Shadow Minister for Legal Aid, said on 21 August 2020.

    It is utterly jaw-dropping that the government have sat on their hands until just days before a self-made homelessness crisis. Pushing ahead with the end of the evictions ban risks unleashing a tsunami of cases which could leave tens of thousands of people homeless and overwhelm our courts.

    If the government do not change course and act now, the complete absence of legal advice in huge swathes of the country will leave tenants at risk of homelessness.

    Ministers’ promises that the courts will take account of the impact of Covid on tenants amount to nothing, as despite having 5 months to do so, they have not changed the law on s.21 or ground 8, so judges will have no choice but to evict in the middle of a global pandemic, regardless of the circumstances.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Eviction Ban

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Eviction Ban

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 21 August 2020.

    This eleventh hour U-turn was necessary, but such a brief extension means there is a real risk that this will simply give renters a few more weeks to pack their bags.

    Boris Johnson has been warned for months about the looming evictions crisis, but stuck his head in the sand.

    People living in rented accommodation should not be paying the price for this Government’s incompetence.

    Section 21 evictions must be scrapped and renters must be given proper support. The ban should not be lifted until the Government has a credible plan to ensure that no-one loses their home as a result of coronavirus.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on the Resignation of Louise Casey

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on the Resignation of Louise Casey

    The comments made by Thangam Debbonaire, the Shadow Housing Secretary, on 20 August 2020.

    This raises serious questions about the Government’s strategy on rough sleeping.

    This chaotic Government has no plan to avoid a self-made homelessness crisis this winter. They need to extend the ban on evictions, and come forward with a credible plan to keep their promise that no renter will lose their home because of Coronavirus.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Evictions

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Evictions

    The comments made by Thangam Debbonaire, the Shadow Housing Minister, on 20 August 2020. The comments are in reference to a letter written by Labour Metro Mayors, the Mayor of London and council leaders from across England to the Housing Secretary calling for an urgent extension of the ban on evictions, which is due to end on Sunday 23rd August.

    The situation couldn’t be more urgent. The Government has three days to avoid a cliff edge, with thousands of people at risk of eviction and homelessness. The Government can still change course. They must extend the ban, and come out with a credible plan to protect renters during this crisis.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Homelessness Statistics

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Homelessness Statistics

    The comments made by Thangam Debbonaire, the Shadow Housing Secretary, on 20 August 2020.

    These figures highlight the urgent need to extend the evictions ban, to avoid thousands more people being made homeless in the run up to winter.

    Before Covid, we already had devastatingly high numbers in temporary accommodation as a direct result of 10 years of Conservative government, whose policies have pushed people into poverty.

    The Government have known for months that an evictions crisis is looming. Not for the first time, it has been too slow to take action and we’re now facing a potential disaster if the ban is lifted with no plan for what comes next.

  • Mike Amesbury – 2020 Comments on the Developer’s Charter

    Mike Amesbury – 2020 Comments on the Developer’s Charter

    The comments made by Mike Amesbury, the Shadow Housing and Planning Minister, on 5 August 2020.

    This is a Developer’s Charter that will see communities side-lined in decisions and denied vital funding for building schools, clinics and community infrastructure.

    These proposals will only serve to blight communities with a new wave of slum housing – the Government’s own independent report even warned of the poor quality of housing built outside the planning system.

    This Government needs to build the high-quality, genuinely affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that this country desperately needs.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Planning

    Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Planning

    Comments made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 4 August 2020.

    As we get Britain building we are also laying the foundations for a green economic recovery by investing in vital infrastructure for local communities, creating jobs and building environmentally-friendly homes with a huge £1.3 billion investment announced today.

    This government is determined to level up all parts of the country and this funding will not only give a much needed boost to our economic recovery, it will help build the good quality, affordable homes the country needs.

  • Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Aquind

    Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Aquind

    The text of the comments made by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 24 July 2020.

    The Russia report laid bare the influence that super-rich Russian oligarchs have sought to exert over our politics.

    Given we already know that over a dozen Tory Ministers are being bankrolled by individuals and businesses with links to Russia, the public have a right to know the identity of the Russian tycoon behind this major UK infrastructure project.

    The Government has questions to answer about the links between party donors and planning applications if we are to believe that money does not buy influence over our politics.

    Labour is sure that the Prime Minister will be keen to reassure the public that bank-rolling the Tory Party does not buy Russian tycoons influence over planning applications and decisions relating to major infrastructure projects supplying our country’s energy needs.