The Guardian


Council houses in Manchester. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty


The industry minister, Margaret Hodge, yesterday provoked a furious reaction from politicians and refugee groups by proposing that local British-born families should get priority for scarce social housing over newly arrived immigrants, with the exception of refugees.Her comments in yesterday's Observer brought strong criticism from fellow Labour MPs and the Liberal Democrats and were used by the Conservatives to argue for stronger controls over immigration.

Mrs Hodge represents Barking, an east London constituency which was once mainly white working class and is now a racially diverse area. Most of the council housing has been sold under the right to buy and the area has been a target for the British National party, which gained 11 seats on the local council last year.

Mrs Hodge wrote yesterday that the government "prioritised the needs of an individual migrant family over the entitlement that others feel they have to resources in the community. So a recently arrived family with four or five children living in a damp and overcrowded privately-rented flat with the children suffering from asthma will usually get priority over a family with less housing need who have lived in the area for three generations and are stuck at home with the grandparents." She continued: "We should look at policies where the legitimate sense of entitlement felt by the indigenous family overrides the legitimate need demonstrated by the new migrants.

"Mrs Hodge advocated drawing up new rules based on such factors as citizenship, the length of residence and national insurance contributions. But the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell, who tried to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership last week, said: "This is a deeply reactionary and dangerous statement to make. The issue, however, is not the allocation of housing, but the chancellor's failure to allow affordable house building over the last 10 years - resulting in the present housing crisis."

Jon Cruddas, MP for Mrs Hodge's neighbour seat of Dagenham, and a deputy leadership candidate, said: "We're in danger of racialising arguments over housing allocation rather than concentrating on the need for greater social housing provision."
The Liberal Democrat local government spokesman, Andrew Stunell, said: "There are one-and-a-half million families on the council housing waiting list and the Labour government keeps selling houses off. The first thing to do is start building social housing again, not to blame immigrants for the catastrophic government failure to tackle the issue."

The Conservative immigration spokesman, Damian Green, said: "Margaret Hodge is admitting the long-term failure of this government to control immigration. This is why Conservatives are calling for an explicit annual limit on the numbers coming here from outside the EU so that we can avoid exactly the sort of problems she is talking about."

Nancy Kelly, of the Refugee Council, also hit out at Mrs Hodge's comments, saying: "The way to counter some of the views that are put forward by the far-right parties is not by trying to follow their lead." Ms Kelly stressed that asylum seekers were not entitled to council housing and arrivals from new EU states had restricted access to benefits.

"People who are recognised as refugees are entitled to council housing but on exactly the same basis as a UK national, on the basis of need," she said. Mrs Hodge said last night that she had been misinterpreted by critics, as she both backed an increase in social housing and wanted refugees excluded from any restrictions.

Ms M. Hodge

Her values come, she believes, from her background. Born in Egypt in 1944, she came to Britain with her parents - both Jewish refugees - when she was four. She still remembers the "horrible" early days staying in bed and breakfasts, when she witnessed her father being discriminated against because of his accent. As a result, she feels passionately about the way in which asylum seekers are treated.

Daily Telegraph profile, 05/09/2003

"This is a deeply reactionary and dangerous statement to make. The issue, however, is nt the allocation of housing, but the chancellor's failure to allow affordable house building over the last 10 years-resulting in the present housing crisis."

"We're in danger of racialising arguments over housing allocation rather than concentrating on the need of greater social housing provision."

"There are one-and-a half million families on the council housing waiting list and the Labour goverment keeps selling houses off. The first thing to do is start building social housing again, not to blame immigrants for the catastrophic government failure to tackle the issue."



"The way to counter some of the views that are put forward by the far-right parties is not by trying to follow their lead." Ms Kelly stressed that asylum seekers were not entitled to council housing and arrivals from new EU states had restricted access to benefits.


"People who are recognised as refugees are entitled to council housing but on exactly the same basis as a UK national, on the basis of need," she said. Mrs Hodge said last night that she had been misinterpreted by critics, as she both backed an increase in social housing and wanted refugees excluded from any restrictions

IF you can't beat the BNP then join them.

Sorry but shes right.

If this was JA or South Africa I'd be voting to make sure InI get the houses before any foriegner does.

she is just saying this so that people will think she's gonna be tough. its a decietful way of making people beleive that something will be done. ONCE she gets the office, you will hear her retract from that statement.

its like how tony blair ranted about black people in policitical office when he was running 10 yrs ago. 10 yrs later...there's only 3 more. wow...well done tony. be deceived and think that this woman will get you a council flat.niceone.gif

Not that I'm supporting any right wingish policy toward foriegners or drawing comparisons in that sence.

Argh... Forget my last post.

Melissa wrote:

I agree with Melissa to a point, there is something fundamentally wrong with how housing is allocated and if i extend my point how some cultures are abusing the social care system.. It pains me to say this but seriously some people are not just content of getting av freebie, in some caes that i've personally witnessed they appear to want to blatantly milk it for all they can get in some cases at any expense!!!

I personally think I'm the least zenophobic person i know, but lately some of the piss taking is geting on my nerves especially when you have people out right lying at the expense of others for a few sheckles....

But what got me was the programme I recent the other day on TV, when Eastern european parents were effectively sending their children to the UK, to be raised in care and on benefits and the outragous so what mentality when people question the morality of such behaviour... and the next thing if their child is killed or hurt they will be claiming compensation and crying murder....Sorry but for me this just isn't right in any context...

However I do not agree with Hodge, on the basis that the current housing crisis was made by the English and not by foriegners...

Melissa wrote: Well, her use of the term 'indigenous' british people was ill-advised, personally idon't think a poor british person should be above a homeless refugee and what is very depressing is a government minister who doesn't appear to know the first ****ing thing about housing policy and the CURRENT points system.

Firstly, economic migrants such as EU citizens are not entitled to public housing. Secondly, in order to be housed in a particular area you ALREADY have to demonstrate 'local connection'. Thirdly, refugees per se are not awarded points- only if they are families with dependent children and then they would get the same number of points as an indigenous person. In fact, because of their inability to demonstrate the local connection factor, they often alread get LESS choice where they are housed. So presumably she wants some way that refugee families with children would not be enititled to housing. Very nice for the kids.

Lets face it Maggie (ELHadji) Hodge is worried about the BNP. Instead of tackling the housing issue by building homes for all who need them, she is advocating, effectively, blaming immigrants for the housing shortage. It is an attempt to beat the BNP by stealing the BNPs clothes instead of building homes and beating fascists or building homes to beat fascists.

On a flip side, i know many people got socila housing due to some corrupt or Connections within housing allocation depts in that borough just like in Hammersmith & Fulham,Westminster,Islington and Camden. As far as i know all housing depts in these boroughs are under some sort of investigation but i am not sure what they will to those who got housing by corrupting some folks in there.

:?

you think that's ****ed up try being a student paying 2 grand per semester for a shitty room. on top of that paying 1,200 for tuition fees. now you know why there are less people going to uni every year.