Right to buy to be included in manifesto
Is this a sensible policy or just another vote catcher?….The Conservatives are expected to include in their manifesto the Right to Buy which would be extended to up to 2.5million housing-association tenants. This reform, backed by senior Conservatives including Iain Duncan Smith, Boris Johnson and David Davis, is expected to be included in array of offers that will be aimed at wooing the voter with Housing concerns.
The Right to Buy was initially introduced by Mrs Thatcher at the Conservative Party Conference in 1989, Mr Cameron has been quoted as saying that he is a supporter of the Right To Buy, however for these plans to come into effect they would likely require major changes to the 1996 Housing Act, forcing associations to sell properties at discounts set by government.
It has also been reported that there are plans to force councils to sell large, expensive council homes so as to fund higher numbers of cheaper properties. The Cons/Lib-Dem coalition has already increased Right to Buy discounts, giving rise to more council homes moving to the private sector.