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Sarah Teather and Brent Liberal DemocratsWorking Hard for Brent |
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Two New Homes For Brent Shows Lack Of Labour Ambition - Teather
April 24, 2009 4:52 PM
Sarah is calling for big tax cuts for those on lower and middle incomes
Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson and local MP for Brent East, has revealed that the Labour government's budget announcement on building new council housing equates to just two new homes for each area in England.
With the cost of building a new home estimated at £150,000, the government's investment will build just 666 new homes across the country; an average of two per borough. At the last count there were 21,400 Brent families on the housing waiting list.
Also in yesterday's budget, the government shirked the opportunity to reform Britain's unfair tax system, under which multimillionaires get away without paying their fair share. Sarah and the Liberal Democrats are arguing for tax cuts for those on lower and middle incomes.
Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, Sarah Teather, said:
"This was a budget notable only for its depressing lack of ambition. If Labour went on building council housing at the same rate as they announced yesterday, it would take over 10,000 years to find a home for everyone in Brent who needs one.
"Two new houses in a borough where thousands are in need is nothing more than a measly gimmick. Instead of throwing a few crumbs to homeless people in Brent, the government should have agreed to let local councils keep tenants rent and right-to-buy money, to spend on desperately needed new homes.
"People in Brent struggling to make ends meet haven't been given any practical help by the Government. Our taxes are too heavy on those who can least afford it and too easy to avoid for those who know how. Gordon Brown should be putting money back into people's pockets by cutting income tax for those on lower and middle incomes.
"It feels like Labour have given up and gone home. Gordon Brown has condemned us to years of unemployment and a decade of debt. This budget completely fails to understand or help those facing tough times here in Brent."
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