SNP ministers ban right to buy

Alex Neil, the Scottish housing minister, tabled new restrictions on the right-to-buy that will mean 18,000 fewer tenants buying their homes over the next decade in Scotland.

For reader that don’t know, The Right to Buy scheme was introduced in 1979 by the Thatcher government, which allowed social tenants to buy their dwelling at a considerable discount.

Over 2.5 million households bought their dwelling and local authorities now own less than 2 million dwellings instead of the 6 million in 1979.

The scheme was one of the most transformative pieces of social policy of the last century. It encouraged the people of this country, to do the best for themselves and their families. It encouraged households to be independent and to take responsibility for themselves.

Thanks to Thatcher, the number of council tenants significantly dropped - from one in three in 1979 to only 12% now. Private ownership is something we must continue to encourage in our society.

Conservative MSP David McLetchie said right to buy had done more to make housing affordable for working people in Scotland than any other policy.

He said of the government plans: "It is little short of naked political vandalism.

"Alex Salmond wants to deny the great benefits of right to buy to the next generation, who will have fewer chances to own their home because of the current limits on mortgage lending.

"It makes no sense to stop people buying their own homes at a modest discount whilst, at the same time, spending millions on other home ownership schemes."

 It is a sad day for thousands of Scots who want to better themselves by realising their dream of home ownership. The right-to-buy policy has proved hugely popular in Scotland – with 450,000 buying their homes under the scheme.

Norman Tebbit, a Cabinet minister in the Thatcher government, described ending right-to-buy as “anti-aspiration and (going) back to the old idea of the state being the landlord”.

Couldn’t have put it better myself............