In April the Government’s Housing Bill suffered a number of big defeats in the House of Lords. Most notably, controversial plans to force local authorities to give the proceeds of council house sales to the Treasury were rejected by peers. The Lords also ruled that Parliament should consider Labour proposals to ensure that any council houses sold must be replaced, one-for-one. The defeats confirmed widespread opposition to the Government’s extreme housing plans and exposed them as simply not fit for purpose. John slammed the ‘half-baked bill’ saying it would “make the housing crisis worse in many areas.” John went on to challenge ministers to “come back to Parliament urgently with further improvements that safeguard affordable homes for the next generation.”
