Social housing, Housing, Margaret Thatcher, Communities, Keir Starmer, Labour, Conservatives, Politics, Society, UK news Business | The Guardian
Her right to buy policy enriched the private sector at taxpayers’ expense. Last year, it sparked another gold rush – and looming calamity for local authoritiesPerhaps only England could make its politician of the moment a woman who died more than a decade ago. Yet turn on Channel 4 and watch Margaret Thatcher: the drama. Radio 4 offers Margaret Thatcher: the play, while soon you can enjoy Thatcher: the opera. For those who can’t wait, there’s Thatcher: the news story, as the British media celebrates 50 years this week since she was crowned Tory leader.Such pieces are reliably more fascinated by how she looked (Shoulder pads! Handbag! Blond halo!) than what she did. So let me tell you a story about one of Thatcher’s deeds that shapes how we live today. Rather than some dusty tale dug out of the archive, it’s unfolding right now. And you won’t have seen it in any other newspaper.Brent saw a more than 7,000% rise in right-to-buy (RTB) applications in November over the month before; in Lambeth and Camden, it was more than 2,000%, for Southwark, 1,500%.November’s flood of applications means Lewisham is dealing with more bids this financial year than it received in the previous four years put together, while Hackney is managing the equivalent of more than three years’ worth of would-be buyers.Islington got 922 RTB applications in November alone, where it would normally expect closer to 200 over an entire year.With months still left of this financial year, London authorities have together already received 3.5 times the RTB applications they got last year.Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist Continue reading…
Her right to buy policy enriched the private sector at taxpayers’ expense. Last year, it sparked another gold rush – and looming calamity for local authorities
Perhaps only England could make its politician of the moment a woman who died more than a decade ago. Yet turn on Channel 4 and watch Margaret Thatcher: the drama. Radio 4 offers Margaret Thatcher: the play, while soon you can enjoy Thatcher: the opera. For those who can’t wait, there’s Thatcher: the news story, as the British media celebrates 50 years this week since she was crowned Tory leader.
Such pieces are reliably more fascinated by how she looked (Shoulder pads! Handbag! Blond halo!) than what she did. So let me tell you a story about one of Thatcher’s deeds that shapes how we live today. Rather than some dusty tale dug out of the archive, it’s unfolding right now. And you won’t have seen it in any other newspaper.
Brent saw a more than 7,000% rise in right-to-buy (RTB) applications in November over the month before; in Lambeth and Camden, it was more than 2,000%, for Southwark, 1,500%.
November’s flood of applications means Lewisham is dealing with more bids this financial year than it received in the previous four years put together, while Hackney is managing the equivalent of more than three years’ worth of would-be buyers.
Islington got 922 RTB applications in November alone, where it would normally expect closer to 200 over an entire year.
With months still left of this financial year, London authorities have together already received 3.5 times the RTB applications they got last year.
Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist
