How thoroughly appalling that the Tory-led government has this week announced plans for the biggest assault ever on social housing. It has emerged that Prime Minister David Cameron now wants to scrap secure tenancies for families living in social housing. He wants to replace them with private sector style short-term tenancies, allowing the government the right to potentially force people out of their homes on the basis of some kind of earnings test. The Prime Minister actually said that once a council tenant got a better job they “will not need that home and will be able to go to the private sector.”

Naturally, this comes as no surprise to us in the Labour Party. We knew during the general election campaign that the Tories were planning to hit tenants in social housing hard – we even put out a leaflet across the constituency warning people of just what they were planning. But we really didn’t expect the Tories to adopt such a ruthless approach so early on in their government.

It does, of course, demonstrate just what a low priority people in social housing are for the Tories. Labour believes that affordable social housing is key to delivering decent homes for those families who are often on the lowest incomes. We also know that the housing crisis in the UK, and here in Dartford, is so acute that we need more affordable homes built – not some ideologically driven attack on those that need affordable homes the most. And does the government really believe that such a mean tested approach to housing will encourage people in social housing to strive to get on in life? Surely people will think twice about fighting to get that better paid job if they fear the council will take their home away if their income rises a little!

So not only is this policy mean-spirited – people need secure accommodation – but it just won’t work. And what will the Tories’ Lib Dem coalition partners do? They’ll bleat a little about it and then do exactly as David Cameron tells them to do. Only Labour will do what’s needed and tackle the housing crisis, by getting more homes built, and only Labour is committed to keeping hard working people safely in their homes.