Lib Dems attack Hastings and Rye MP over housing motion vote

The parliamentary motion called for a series of solutions to the housing crisis but was defeated with only 15 votes in favour on Tuesday (February 9).

The 2015 Lib Dem candidate for Hastings and Rye said Amber Rudd is ‘out of touch’ with her constituents after voting with 274 others against the motion.

“Housing is not about bricks and mortar, it’s about people. It’s wrong that right across the south east so many people are being priced out of the communities they grew up in,” Mr Perry said.

“And it’s not just a few people – the problem is real, and it’s widespread.

“So seeing our local MP voting against this Lib Dem motion just shows how out of touch she is with the reality of life in Hastings and Rye.”

Research by the Lib Dems shows house prices in the south east are likely to rise 142 per cent by 2026.

“The country faces a severe housing crisis in which ordinary people cannot afford to rent, let alone buy, their own home,” Mr Perry said.

“Unfortunately, the Government’s proposals simply will not address the problems that are faced, particularly here in Hastings and Rye.

“We need homes that are genuinely affordable, and that includes properties not just to buy but also to rent.

“The Government must also act to ensure that these properties do not simply end up becoming second homes, exacerbating the housing problems which many people in our area already face.”

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron MP said they will not let up in their campaign for better housing.

“All these Conservative MPs troop through the lobbies to cut tax credits; and yesterday they voted against a plan to build truly affordable homes that we need,” he said.

“The Liberal Democrats will keep working to make this a priority.

“The Government needs to tackle the housing crisis and that means building more affordable homes, not selling off the existing stock of social housing.”

Ms Rudd said the government is committed to improving the housing market across the UK including her constituency.

“The Government is determined that everyone who works hard will be able to have a home of their own,” she said.

“That is why the Government is embarking on the largest house building programme for some 40 years.

“It aims to build 1 million homes by 2020 and to help hundreds of thousands of people to take their first steps on to the housing ladder.

“More than 130,000 people have now been able to become homeowners since the 2013 launch of the Help to Buy scheme, and over a quarter of a million people have now opened a Help to Buy ISA.”

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