‘No Worries. It Won’t Apply To Us!’

PETER AND MARY were disturbed to find that David Cameron, the Prime Minister, was considering social housing today. In a Daily Telegraph article, the PM is reported as saying that: ‘Council house tenants should no longer be given the right to keep their properties for life.’

Mary was first to raise the obvious question: ‘What’s he mean? Does he mean we won’t be able to buy our property?’ (Interestingly, Mary already assumes that the three-bedroom council property, just granted to her and her two children, now forms part of her, and her boyfriend Peter’s, personal assets).

Cameron was addressing the situation where council tenants are currently awarded an indefinite ‘secure tenancy’ if they successfully complete a 12-month trial period. They can then only be evicted through the courts if they fail to pay their rent; cause serious problems for their neighbours; or under what are termed: ‘exceptional circumstances.’ If they die, their secure tenancy can be passed on to their child or partner.

Peter had been re-reading the article in earnest. ‘No,’ he finally said. ‘Cameron isn’t talking about us.

’He’s just talking about those bastards clogging-up the system and holding onto properties that are too big for them. If anything it works in our favour.

’If we have another kid, there may be an opportunity for you to get your hands on a four-bedroom property – and then we could really make a killing!’

’Are you sure?’ I asked, pointing-out another quotation. ‘Look at this.’

David Cameron had gone on to say: ‘There is a question mark about whether, in future, should we be asking, actually, when you are given a council home, is it for a fixed period, because maybe in five or 10 years you will be doing a different job and be better paid and you won’t need that home, you will be able to go into the private sector.’

For the first time since the coalition government took office, Peter and Mary actually looked worried. But it was not for long.

’Yeah,’ said Peter. ‘Maybe you are right; but it won’t effect us. It says here:-

‘”The Prime Minister said that any changes would not, however, apply to people already in social housing. The Conservatives pledged in their general election manifesto to protect the rights of existing tenants.”’

Only Mary continued to have doubts. ‘Better keep hold of that, Peter.’ she said, pointing to the newspaper, ‘Just in case we need to refer to it.’

While Mary made the tea, I was asking myself why Cameron, having finally confronted the issue of council tenant income, was still unwilling to confront Thatcher’s legacy of the Right To Buy. Surely income was a common factor.

’You’re gonna write this up, aren’t you?’ asked Peter. ‘I love the pieces you do on us.’

‘Oh, yes,’ I said.