Working People to Get Housing Priority under Labour

Ed Miliband has announced that people in work will be given priority on social housing waiting lists. In his speech at a neighbourhood centre in London, Ed Miliband said that Labour ‘will be a party that rewards contribution, not worklessness’, and that the Welfare State should reward those who contribute. ‘One area where people’s sense of fairness is under threat is social housing,’ he continued. ‘In Manchester, as well as helping the most vulnerable families and disabled people with housing, they prioritise households who are giving something back to their communities – making a contribution – for example, people who work for or run local voluntary organisations. They also look to reward people who have been good tenants in the past and who have paid their rent on time and never been involved in any antisocial behaviour.’ Mr Miliband will place responsibility with high earners too – calling on all organisations to publish the ratio of high pay to average worker pay to highlight the pay gap between chief executives and other employees. Read more on the Guardian website.