29th
Aug 2022
Breakthrough the newly registered political party is now calling for a sweeping reform of the private rental sector and housing in general.
The party is labelling itself as “youth led” and its leader is a former Labour Party and as of yet has no MPs or elected councillors within its ranks, however there have been a few councillors who apparently have ‘jumped ship’ from Labour to Breakthrough.
A former Plaid Cymru councillor in Wales, who has only just sat as an independent, has also purportedly jumped on board with the new party.
The party has publicised their policies that include key industries becoming nationalised, repealing restrictive laws therefore “unleashing trade unions” as well as its environmental programme of “massive decarbonisation, a green transition in farming and bold interventions to promote biodiversity and strengthen animal rights.”
Breakthrough has also unveiled its 10-point plan which of course includes various facets of the PRS, which include wanting the introduction of rental controls, plans to make council housing to pressure private landlords into reducing rents and increasing wages. It is calling for buy-to-let mortgages to be scrapped, increase taxation on unearned property income and the introduction of higher taxation on unearned property income and on residential properties along increased taxation on short term lets, second and holiday homes.
Breakthrough says: “This housing crisis is no accident: it is the result of decades of government policy designed to benefit landlords and developers rather than ordinary tenants and residents. It will take radical reform to create a housing system that meets people’s needs.
“In the long term, we want to see a society in which the fundamental right to a home is respected and homelessness made a thing of the past.
“Landlordism — the hoarding of homes for profit — should ultimately be abolished, and secure, truly affordable council housing made widely available. All homes should be safe and fit for human habitation, supporting health, wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
“And we must make sure that a range of homes are available or adaptable to meet the needs of groups such as older, disabled and neurodiverse people, and of various household sizes.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: "Landlordism is an interesting term that is far from complimentary towards the majority of hard working landlords and seems feudal by suggestion.
“Once again there are some young people who have no inkling of the multitude of issues landlords have to face on a daily basis, perhaps some of these young idealists may be responsible for the ‘gentrification’ of community areas which forces hopeful local first time buyers into renting ‘homes’.
“Breakthrough could quickly become Breakdown.”
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