Hodge on Housing - Labour Lambeth were there seven years ago

Speech delivered on Tue 22nd May 2007

Margaret Hodge seems very short of supporters for her proposal to give priority to British families over migrants when it comes to allocating social housing.

I would have thought that most people who've looked at housing policy can't get away from the idea that those in the most need should be at the top of the housing list. And it must be wrong to allocate housing on the basis of race or nationality.

But Ms Hodge might be pleased to hear that she has support from the Labour Group on Lambeth Council.

The story that broke over the weekend had me hunting through the archives of Lambeth Council meetings. And there I found the evidence. In July 2000 Labour introduced an allocations policy that gave priority to people who had lived in the country longest over people who were most in need of a home. The policy was worked up by Cllr Tom Franklin who became leader in May 2000 and so Cllr Donatus Anyanwu took over and implemented the policy change.

Both of them were still crowing about it in April 2002 - just before the election that saw them turfed out of office - when they declared that their policy "replaced the needs-based points system" that they saw as "unfair", and ensured "no one is overtaken on the housing list by an applicant with more 'points'."

Looking at it now it is no surprise that their allocations policy was ruled illegal in two separate court cases.

But the question for Margaret Hodge and for Cllr Donatus Anyanwu is simple. Why should be people in the most need be stopped from overtaking those in lesser need?

For Ms Hodge it seems to be that she sees a danger that people won't vote Labour if they aren't offered a council house ahead of those arriving in Britain more recently.

But how does Donatus explain his enthusiasm for the policy? He is still on the council and has transferred his responsibilities to cover social services for vulnerable adults. He's probably too busy there taking services away from 700 people who are in "substantial need" of help from the council.

Perhaps he has trouble with the concept of "need" - whether in housing or in social care. Either way he was wrong on his housing policy and he is wrong on taking services away from those in need now.