Thursday, 19 September 2013

Comfortable South-East?

Just in case it may be thought that lovely East Sussex is free from the ills affecting other areas and that its political domination by Tories is explained by their usual complacency, let us take note of this finding just put out by Sovereign FM: that one in 6 people in Wealden affected by the Bedroom Tax have fallen behind on their rent since its introduction. I bet there are people around the Home Counties who would be surprised to hear that anyone in East Sussex needs social housing, let alone cannot pay their ill-begotten tax on living space but yes, real people live here too.
It is too easy to list critiques of the Bedroom Tax but as far as Wealden in particular is concerned, a shortage of affordable homes of the sizes needed by those now being taxed into further dependency is a big one, which the Tory get-out clauses allowing house builders to avoid the minimum level of affordable homes in any project will do nothing to overcome. This is no party-partisan comment but factual. It looks unlikely that the incumbent governing party nor their bedfellows in cruelty will pay heed to this situation so I urge anybody of any persuasion to express outrage against the Bedroom Tax - and don't stay quiet just because the noise starts from the Left.
Tom Serpell
http://www.sovereignfm.com/sovstory.asp?id=4403

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