Ian Mulheirn, director of the Social Market Foundation,wrote on the PF Blog this week welcoming the prime minister’s article in the Daily Telegraph . This called for competition to be the norm in public services. The PM argued that what has prevented decentralisation is that Whitehall wants to hold the purse strings. It should now relinquish them and allow the market to…
Was stock transfer a good idea? The odd thing about the question is that those answering ‘no’ straddle the political spectrum. Of course, Defend Council Housing has been opposing stock transfer since it was set up thirteen years ago when Labour was first elected. It was affronted that the new government not only continued but…
Following the announcement by the Home Secretary to make prospective spouses coming to the UK take an English test before they can qualify for a visa, our guest blogger John Perry explores the practical side of things. Now that the UKBA has announced how the tests will be done, John takes a look at the…
This is a 130-page book of praise for the right to buy, that a judicious editor might have reduced to the size of a pamphlet. Peter King clearly feels alone in the housing world, surrounded by academics and practitioners who oppose not just the right to buy but even homeownership itself. As a result, much…
As we near the third anniversary of the London bombings, it’s a good moment to reflect on whether housing organisations have done enough to engage with Muslim communities. We are all aware that there has been a backlash against Muslims, made worse every time there is a new incident or the press has…
John Perry and Azim El Hassan As we near the third anniversary of the London bombings, it’s a good moment to reflect on whether housing organisations have done enough to engage with Muslim communities. We are all aware that there has been a backlash against Muslims, made worse every time there is a new incident…