Angela Rayner accused of ‘the peak of hypocrisy’ over council home plans | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Angela Rayner has been accused of hypocrisy over plans to limit a council residence possession scheme she benefited from.

Under proposals anticipated to be introduced by the Housing Secretary, tenants must stay of their property for as much as a decade earlier than they’ll purchase it at a reduction.

The extension of the interval from three years is a part of a tightening to Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme, which the Deputy Prime Minister will launch a session on later this month.

But the Tories mentioned Labour was “pulling up the drawbridge on home ownership” after Ms Rayner purchased her council home in Stockport in 2007 following three years’ possession.

Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake mentioned: “The Right to Buy has helped millions into home ownership. It has given something back to families who worked hard, paid their rent and played by the rules.

“It has allowed them to do up their residence, change their entrance door, enhance their backyard – with out getting permission from the city corridor.

“It has given people a sense of pride and ownership not just in their home but also in their street and neighbourhood. Labour are now pulling up the drawbridge on home ownership, making their party the enemy of aspiration and social mobility.

“It’s the peak of hypocrisy for Angela Rayner to sabotage the coverage that helped her transfer on to and up the housing ladder.”

Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, made an estimated £48,500 profit when she sold her house eight years later.

Labour has said it will reduce the discounts social housing tenants receive under the scheme.

The Housing Secretary also suggested last week that she wants to stop new council homes from being sold under the policy.

More than two million homes have been sold since the scheme was introduced but in recent years it has been blamed for depleting the number of council houses available.

A housing ministry spokesman said: “Right to buy remains an important route for council housing tenants to be able to buy their own home and we will not be abolishing the scheme.

“But it’s scandalous that only a third of council homes sold through right to buy have been replaced since 2012.

“That is why we have now mentioned we’ll evaluate the scheme extra broadly, which is able to have a look at eligibility standards and protections for brand spanking new properties to assist us reverse the decline of council housing, with extra particulars set out within the coming weeks.”