Sadiq Khan attacks Budget for missed chance to solve housing crisis

Mr Khan claimed that Chancellor George Osborne had missed a “major opportunity”
PA
Pippa Crerar17 March 2016
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Sadiq Khan today criticised the Government for failing to come up with a plan to deal with London’s housing crisis in the Budget.

Labour’s mayoral hopeful claimed that Chancellor George Osborne had missed a “major opportunity” to build the homes needed.

He said the capital faced a “housing emergency” and that Mr Osborne should have announced more support for councils, housing associations and developers.

“It’s clearer than ever that the Tories are not going to help Londoners with the biggest challenge we face: fixing the housing crisis,” he said.

“It makes a total mockery out of Zac Goldsmith’s claims that a Tory Mayor can get a good deal from government.”

Mr Osborne announced plans to help more Londoners on to the housing ladder in his autumn statement last year, with the extension of the right-to-buy scheme to housing association properties. There is also a new London “help to buy” scheme.

Mayor Boris Johnson defended the Government, saying that “a helluva lot” was already going on, including £2.5 billion funding for a “massive” programme of house building.

He also welcomed news that London would retain 100 per cent of business rates, which he said would give City Hall and councils an incentive to adopt growth-promoting policies.

“You have a solid stream of income, we don’t have to go begging for government grant the whole time, we have our own resources coming in from London taxation. It’s a massive step in the right direction,” he said.

Tory mayoral candidate Mr Goldsmith said the business rates deal was “a huge opportunity” for London.

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