SIMON EMMETT . net

Spin and class war politics is something that has become a bit of a trade mark with this government, even more so under Gordon Brown’s leadership. But from what i have learnt recently their campaign is now stinking to a shameless low.

The lastest electioneering tactic from one of Gordon Brown loyal supporters, and my local MP is Clive Efford. The tactic being adopted is to frighten local tenants into sticking with Labour at the general (and local) election. In the run up to the general election, the Labour Party are running a scare campaign alleging that Conservatives will abolish social tenants’ rights of tenure and hike social tenants’ rents to market levels.

Isn’t a shame that our current MP seems to be stooping to this low form of politics. by spreading these unfounded and baseless remarks, utilising scare tactics to try and stay elected. It is especially more gauling when you compare the to parties polices., and Labour’s own record. For example, here are a list of Labour attacks on social housing

• Gordon Brown’s favourite think tank, the Smith Institute, which supported his leadership bid, recommended: ‘An end to “social” tenancies: Reform of rented tenancies, phasing out assured and secure tenancies to create a wider single rented tenancy which does not necessarily assume a tenancy for life’ (Smith Institute, Rethinking Social Housing, 2006, p.82).
• A review of social housing commissioned by the Government, considered: ‘introduce some form of “transitional protection”, such as setting market rents for new tenants only’
• (p.155) and ‘entitlement to fixed support (such as through vouchers) for a certain period, such as one to five years’ (p.156). In the introduction to the report, Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State, said:
• ‘I welcome this report’ (DCLG/John Hills, Ends and Means: the Future roles of social Housing In England, February 2007, p.xii).
• Caroline Flint, as Housing Minister, called for the unemployed to be made to look for work or lose their council homes (The Times, 5 February 2008). She advocated: ‘new tenants who can work sign commitment contracts when getting a tenancy, agreeing to actively seek work alongside better support’ (Speech to the Fabian Society, 5 February 2008).
• When Margaret Beckett was Housing Minister, it was reported that Labour were planning that new social tenants would have fixed-term contracts, under the plans with regular reviews every few years (The Times, ‘Council homes for life to be scrapped’, 10 November 2008).

However compare that to Conservatives policy

Conservative policies – Extending Opportunity for Social Tenants

Standing up for Social Tenants. As compassionate Conservatives, we recognise the importance of social housing and the security it provides. We will protect and respect the rights of social tenants.

Many social tenants have great pride in their homes and the neighbourhood in which they live, and deserve to be encouraged.

Rewards for Good Behaviour. We will offer tenants with a record of five years’ good behaviour a 10 per cent equity share in their social rented property, which can be cashed in when they want to move up the housing ladder. This will give tenants a direct financial stake in the state of their neighbourhood, and reward law-abiding citizens who pay their rent on time, keep their garden tidy, and ensure their children stay out of trouble. By contrast, Labour policies reinforce and reward welfare dependency.

A ‘Right to Move’. We will introduce a comprehensive national mobility scheme for good tenants who wish to move to other social sector properties, and pilot a scheme which allows good social tenants to demand that their social landlord sell their current property and use the proceeds, minus transaction costs, to buy (and thereby bring into the social rented sector) another property of their choice – anywhere in England.

National House Swap Initiative. We will facilitate a nationwide affordable house-swap programme (through an open data format allowing information to be exchanged). For the first-time ever, every family in social housing will have the chance to relocate by exchanging their home for another one – anywhere in the country.

Tackling Empty State Property. We will scrap Labour’s intrusive and draconian Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs). Instead, we will give local people stronger powers to demand the public sector sell off its empty or underused property. The Whitehall databases of surplus public sector brownfield land and buildings will be opened up to public inspection on the internet.

Empty Property Rescue Scheme. In addition, to get empty social properties back into use, we will relax current social housing rules temporarily in order to encourage the use of some existing empty properties for those on waiting lists. We will allow short-term tenancy agreements of, for example, three to five years for new tenancies, and partially suspend inflexible rules on design.

Promoting Enterprise. Many social tenancies prevent people from running a business and working from home; the Government has failed to provide any guidance on this issue. A Conservative Government will unlock enterprise across the country ensuring that clauses in tenancy agreements do not stop social tenants from reasonably running a business at home. This policy will apply to new social tenancy agreements, and social landlords will be encouraged to amend existing tenancy agreements. Conditions concerning noise and nuisance will remain firmly in place. We will do this via new guidance, and will legislate if necessary.

With politics being dragged through the gutter, thanks to the MPs expenses row, you would think that they would want to clean up Westminster with a campaign based on their records, both as a government and as contituency MPs.

But with records on issues such as these is it any wonder why Labour needs to stoop to the this sort of low, when their own record has been so poor.