The Association of Residential Lettings Agents appears to have joined the chorus of criticism against Labour’s controversial right to buy policy - but it has yet to actually make comment on the issue.
A statement was issued by the association yesterday and posted on its website under the headline: Landlords would be hit with a Labour Government.
However, the story below the headline is merely a summary of Labour’s policy, and does not contain any specific comment from ARLA or a spokesperson.
It does however say that a Labour government, if elected with the party’s current leadership and in a snap election, would be “the most left wing in modern history.”
ARLA summarises that the Labour leadership is determined to shift power away from landlords and towards tenants, which would include a form of right to buy the private properties they live in.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the FT that he wanted to “tackle the burgeoning buy to let market.”
There was little by way of detail from McDonnell, but he is quoted in the FT as saying: “You’d want to establish what is a reasonable price, you can establish that and then that becomes the right to buy … You (the government) set the criteria. I don’t think it’s complicated.”
Landlords failed to reinvest in properties and had made a “fast buck” at the cost of the community and their tenants, McDonnell argued.
“We’ve got a large number of landlords who are not maintaining these properties and are causing overcrowding and these problems. In my street now, a third of the houses are right-to-buy, badly maintained, overcrowded; it’s horrendous” the Shadow Chancellor claimed.
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“We’ve got a large number of landlords who are not maintaining these properties and are causing overcrowding and these problems. In my street now, a third of the houses are right-to-buy, badly maintained, overcrowded; it’s horrendous” the Shadow Chancellor claimed.
If you google the article in The Daily Mail you'll find that Mr McDonnell's neighbours showed him up to be a liar.
It’s not about helping anyone, it’s only about bringing on the glorious revolution during which McDonnell and his fellow rejects will get their own back on everyone they see as more talented, wealthier or luckier than they are. If we as a society let them in, we will have brought the chaos which will follow down upon our own heads
I am confused, can someone explain how/why its ok, expected and supported by Property Mark and this publication, for starters, that laws should be changed so that Tenants of long leases can extend their leases or buy their buildings at a discounted price compared to the price they would pay today, yet Labour's housing proposal is abhorrent. I am not saying i support either, i just don't understand the inconsistency.
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