BIGGEST GIVEAWAY OF PUBLIC WEALTH

 

 

 Shameful result of the Thatcher

sell-off

The greatest achievement  in the Cumbria town of Penrith in the last  century was in the field of public housing, says Professor Michael Mullett in his recently published  history of the town.

Penrith was not unique in its pride about its council house record.That same greatest achievement was realised in most towns and cities as Britain built many thousands of  council houses, all of them homes fit for returning heroes, in the 1940`s and `50`s, the years after the Second World War.

Those same council houses  provided another  greatest achievement thirty years later for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.With  great flourish, she proceeded to sell them off with big discounts to their tenants .

These highly popular sales helped Mrs Thatcher to win elections. They made  many former tenants very wealthy. And they were described as the biggest giveaway of public wealth in history. It was yet another “greatest achievement.”

Many people would argue that there is  yet another  “achievement”that is the result of the Thatcher sell-off.

These people are right in terms of the present serious and long lasting housing crisis, and the present  homelessness and rough sleeping situations, also serious and long lasting.

We have achieved all of these.

Certainly, not our greatest achievement. 

Possibly, our most shameful.

 Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 52227