These feeble proposals show that Ministers just don’t get the scale of the problems facing homebuyers – John Healey

Responding
to the announcement of a call for evidence on improving the
home-buying process, John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, said:

“Another
week and another call for evidence on failings in the housing market, but these
feeble proposals show that Ministers just don’t get the scale of the problems
facing homebuyers. 

"This
smacks of a political diversion from the hard facts of the Tories’ housing
record. Home-ownership is at a thirty year low and the number of
younger home-owners is in freefall, but Ministers can only come up with a
‘call for evidence’ on improving the home-buying process. 

 "Compare
the Tories’ feeble gesture to Labour’s plans – 100,000 discounted homes for
first-time buyers, a cut in stamp duty, first dibs on new homes for local
people and new protections for home-owners.

 “This
is a government out of touch and out of ideas. Conservatives know housing
was a big part of why they did so badly at the election but after seven years
of failure Ministers still have no plan to fix the housing crisis.”