Denis MacShane hits out over "right to buy"

Dr MacShane claims there is little point trying to restart council house building if tenants are allowed to buy any new homes built under the proposals from the Government.

The former Europe minister accused council house buyers of being “the most selfish generation of home-owners in British history.”

He said that in South Yorkshire more council homes were still being sold to tenants than have been built in recent years.

“It is time to reconsider one of the great shibboleths of recent times, namely that the sale of council homes is a policy that cannot be discussed in public by consenting politicians,” Dr MacShane said.

“Councils have had billions of pounds of receipts from sale of council homes but treasury rules under Gordon Brown prevented them from building new homes.

“The new proposals will not even scratch the surface of the lack of socially affordable housing if right-to-buy remains enshrined as policy.”

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