Wigan MP Lisa slams Tory-led Government as housing and economic policies hit home

The Tory-led Government’s policies were exposed today as official figures revealed that affordable house building had completely collapsed in the Wigan area. The figures from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency show that affordable housing never got off the ground in 2011/2012 with no new housing starts compared with the previous year.

These figures demonstrate the disastrous impact of the Tory-led Government’s housing and economic policies and the need for urgent action to build much needed homes and get the economy going again.

Lisa said: “The Tory-led Government is failing families in Wigan who are in desperately need of a home. We have a growing housing crisis and the Government’s policies are making it worse. Across the country there has been a 68% fall in affordable home starts. In Wigan we’ve seen a complete collapse, with no new starts in the last year.”

“Labour has called on the Government to take action by repeating the bankers’ bonus tax that would fund 25,000 new affordable homes. We want the Government to make a temporary VAT cut on home improvements, repairs and maintenance to help homeowners and small businesses, and create much needed jobs and apprenticeships.”

“This government needs to think less about grabbing headlines and more about tackling the worsening housing and economic crisis.”