Conservatives are breaking promises
You are right to highlight David Cameron’s statement in Birmingham questioning security of tenure for council tenants.
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Mr Cameron said: ‘There is a question mark over whether, in the future, should we be asking when you are given a council home, it is for a fixed period?
‘Because maybe in five or 10 years you will be doing a different job and you will be better paid and you will be able to go into the private sector.’
The prime minister’s statement is surprising for three reasons.
First, the statement is sailing close to breaking the Conservative election manifesto pledge that: ‘We will respect the tenures and rents of social housing tenants.’ Second, security of tenure for council tenants was introduced in 1980 by a previous Conservative prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Third, the notion that a council tenant who lands a better paid job could be evicted, seems at variance with the government’s proposals for incentives to get people working.
Jim Wintour, Eltham, London