Housing benefit facing axe as Tories plot huge rent rises

Originally posted @ 11:55 pm, Mon 7th Sep 2009

Intriguing article from the Mirror today.

Just as many people are wanting more council housing to be provided, senior Tories have come out with their old prejudices again.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/07/tories-plotting-huge-rent-rises-115875-21653786/

"Housing benefit facing axe as Tories plot huge rent rises"

Millions of the poorest families face massive rent rises under secret Conservative plans.

Leaked minutes of a meeting of senior Tories reveal they want to hit council tenants with bigger bills, to "eliminate" housing benefit and finally scrap all long-term rental tenancies.

The meeting, attended by David Cameron's housing adviser Owen Inskip and London mayor Boris Johnson's deputy Sir Simon Milton, said social rented housing was "a dead end".

The minutes, obtained by the Mirror show, they also discussed driving out council tenants from Tory-controlled areas, brazenly risking "accusations of gerrymandering or social engineering".

Labour MP Karen Buck said: "So much for David Cameron's compassionate -Conservativism. As with the NHS, they want to do away with council housing."