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If Boris Johnson housing policies are wrong, which would be right? If Boris Johnson housing policies are wrong, which would be right?
(about 4 hours later)
Many measures are proposed by enemies of Boris Johnson for alleviating London’s housing woes. Here’s a Top Ten of the more familiar.Many measures are proposed by enemies of Boris Johnson for alleviating London’s housing woes. Here’s a Top Ten of the more familiar.
With Boris Johnson’s mayoralty in its eighth and final year, there are two things to note about this hit parade.With Boris Johnson’s mayoralty in its eighth and final year, there are two things to note about this hit parade.
Where does this leave the array of non-Conservative politicians vying to succeed Johnson? Most would lobby the government over the majority of the Top Ten and might eventually get some joy with a few of them, perhaps as part of a further devolution of powers to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London’s boroughs. But the next mayor should expect to begin his or her stint at City Hall with the same restricted levers, resources and areas of hands-on influence Johnson presently has at his command. What better use could be made of them? If johnson’s housing policies are wrong, which ones would be right? Where does this leave the array of non-Conservative politicians vying to succeed Johnson? Most would lobby the government over the majority of the Top Ten and might eventually get some joy with a few of them, perhaps as part of a further devolution of powers to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London’s boroughs. But the next mayor should expect to begin his or her stint at City Hall with the same restricted levers, resources and areas of influence Johnson presently has at his command. What better use could be made of them? If Johnson’s housing policies are wrong, which alternative ones would be right?
Here’s a third list. This one sets out what Johnson has been doing with some of the main housing tools at his disposal and asks how his successor might use them differently and, crucially, to what possible effect.Here’s a third list. This one sets out what Johnson has been doing with some of the main housing tools at his disposal and asks how his successor might use them differently and, crucially, to what possible effect.
Let’s leave it at lucky seven, but there is much more to think and argue about between now and next May. There is also plenty to protest about: the implications of welfare caps, the conversion of social rented homes to “affordable rent” and the government’s proposed extension of the Right to Buy to housing association homes, which even a senior representative of London big business has described to me as “bonkers”, come straight to mind. But it’s worth noting also that there’s a lot of common ground between the present mayor and his Labour, Lib Dem and Green critics about housing, if only that London needs much more of it and for as much of it as possible to be priced below the capital’s sky high market levels. Where they mostly disagree is over how to go about achieving this and what sorts of “affordable” homes are needed most.Let’s leave it at lucky seven, but there is much more to think and argue about between now and next May. There is also plenty to protest about: the implications of welfare caps, the conversion of social rented homes to “affordable rent” and the government’s proposed extension of the Right to Buy to housing association homes, which even a senior representative of London big business has described to me as “bonkers”, come straight to mind. But it’s worth noting also that there’s a lot of common ground between the present mayor and his Labour, Lib Dem and Green critics about housing, if only that London needs much more of it and for as much of it as possible to be priced below the capital’s sky high market levels. Where they mostly disagree is over how to go about achieving this and what sorts of “affordable” homes are needed most.
That next mayor could very well be a Labour one, so these matters are highly relevant to the six people campaigning to become that party’s candidate for 2016. They will take part in a sold-out housing hustings this evening (Thursday) organised by the London Labour Housing Group (LLHG), which I will be chairing. At the Red Brick blog, LLHG’s Steve Hilditch has set out the housing policies offered so far by Diane Abbott, Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, David Lammy, Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar. Lots, lots more on all this to come.That next mayor could very well be a Labour one, so these matters are highly relevant to the six people campaigning to become that party’s candidate for 2016. They will take part in a sold-out housing hustings this evening (Thursday) organised by the London Labour Housing Group (LLHG), which I will be chairing. At the Red Brick blog, LLHG’s Steve Hilditch has set out the housing policies offered so far by Diane Abbott, Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, David Lammy, Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar. Lots, lots more on all this to come.