Labour abandon social mobility in housing

The Housing Minister, John Healey, has admitted that Labour have abandoned their Housing Reform green paper, designed to increase social mobility.

When the paper was launched in May 2008, the Government said the measures would “provide housing services and options which help and encourage people towards greater economic independence and social mobility and to deliver greater fairness and make best use of our resources.”

But in an interview this week, John Healey, Labour’s fourth Housing Minister in two years, indicated he was not aware of the proposals before admitting that he was not working on the green paper.

Grant Shapps, the Shadow Housing Minister, stressed, “It no doubt suits the Government to drop a green paper about social mobility since it would only serve to embarrass them over their appalling record in housing which has led to a drastic decline in social mobility.”

And he added, “Progressive improvements in social mobility can be brought about if the Minister takes a look at our own Housing Green Paper and agrees to bring forward innovative ideas like our Right To Move policy, which would provide a real shot in the arm for housing mobility.”