Wales council votes to buy back homes

Socialist-led Liverpool city council's struggle in 1983-87 led to mass demonstrations and thousands of new council houses built, photo Dave Sinclair (Click to enlarge)

Dave Reid, Socialist Party Wales

Flintshire county council in North Wales has decided to buy back 55 council houses sold since 2005 when they become available on the market.

It is also building 200 council houses over the next five years.

Swansea council has also agreed to build a few new council houses. And the Welsh government is considering the abolition of the 'right to buy' scheme for council housing.

These are welcome measures, but they hardly scratch the surface of the housing crisis that has developed in Wales.

A socialist council would use the current low interest rates to fund mass council house building and demand greater funding for housing from the Welsh government.

Abolishing the right to buy must be accompanied by a house building programme.

Welsh Labour has been forced by public pressure to reform housing legislation in Wales to make private landlords register as such.

But the registration is not backed up by enforcement of safeguards or tenants' rights. In fact, the act actually removed tenancy protection in the first six months of tenancy.

Tackling the housing crisis in Wales and across Britain will mean candidates standing on a programme of reversing the privatisation of housing stock. For real regulation of landlords, capping rents instead of benefits, and fighting central government for funding to reverse cuts.

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.