Greenwich and Lewisham

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Sir Dylan Macmillan
Conservative MP
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Greenwich and Lewisham

Post by Sir Dylan Macmillan »

Result last election:

Lab - 53
Con - 19
Grn - 13
UKIP - 8
Lib - 7
Sir Dylan Macmillan
MP for North East Bedfordshire 2001 - Present

Shadow Chancellor 2016
Chancellor 2015
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 2014 - 2015
Leader of the House of Commons 2012 - 2014
Secretary of State for International Development 2010 - 2012
Conservative Party Chairman 2008 - 2010
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury 2005 - 2008
CWard
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Re: Greenwich and Lewisham

Post by CWard »

Ward Speech

Over the last several decades this country has faced a housing crisis through a series of good intent, bad execution policy. Recently Juliet Manning announced to Parliament that the Government will be taking up the mantle to build 575,000 new, energy efficient homes over three years, spending £19 billion and using Green Belt lands to do it. The Government called it “revolutionary”.

However, they promised almost identical figures in their 2017 election manifesto. They campaigned on that. I am happy that the Government is keeping its word on housing. But doing what you say isn’t revolutionary, it’s just doing your job. Taking Green Belt land to build on in one area to replace it elsewhere is still building in the Green Belt. It’s good intent, poor execution. The Housing Secretary missed the issue. Yes we need new homes. But we also need to make sure that those homes are affordable. We must make sure that we’re not building empty Neo-Georgian sepulchres for a generation who cannot obtain them. The issue is that the Conservative housing policy is the wrong answer to the wrong question. London doesn’t just need more supply of unaffordable homes. For years areas like this have seen the poorest priced out of their own neigbourhoods. More housing doesn’t fix that that problem.

The average home now costs eight times the average annual pay packet. 1.7 million pay a third of their income to a landlord. You do not develop a stable future this way. It doesn’t matter how big the building is if nobody can afford it. This concern has been utterly neglected by Miss Manning. The Tories fail because they’re out of touch. They don’t provide proper solutions. We need more than platitudes and shooting money at the problem.

But John McDonnell is someone that you can trust to not merely provide soft solutions. We cannot simply throw money and time at the problem and declare the problem solved. Instead we will be focused on building a diverse array of homes. Social rented homes, whose rents are set on a formula which factors in local incomes, property values, and size, will make up the core of our affordable housing program. Additionally, we will build living rent homes which will have their rent fixed at no more than one third of the average household incomes. These will be targeted to younger people, key workers, and Lower to middle class working families who want an alternative to private rent. John will be the ally you deserve, fighting for you to make sure that you have access to housing that is truly affordable. He will use his office to make sure that new homes are available not just in posh areas, but for hard working class people who punch the clock day in and day out.

But not only that, we need tenant representation for everyone. What happened at Grenfell happened because tenants weren’t listened to, because you weren’t heard. Those were your neighbours. Those were your friends. But John McDonnell is committed to fostering that representation. As Mayor, he’ll work to make sure local councils are hearing their tenants, that buildings are up to code, and that our housing is safe and secure. No one should have to be afraid of power surges or poor building materials. Nor should a council ignore anyone who comes to them for aid. John McDonnell is the one in this race that will fight for you.

So when you go to the ballot box, vote for the candidate that’s fighting for more homes for working class people. Vote for the candidate who’s going to fight for housing that’s safe and affordable. Vote for the candidate that’s going to make sure people’s voices are heard. Vote for John McDonnell!
Calvin James Ward
Labour MP for Glasgow-Maryhill
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