McLetchie: It’s short-sighted to end Right to Buy

The hugely successful Right to Buy programme will be ended after the Housing (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament today. Scottish Conservatives voted against the Bill.

David McLetchie MSP, Scottish Conservative Chief Whip and a member of the Local Government and Communities Committee, said:

"This is a short sighted measure and one the other parties will come to regret. The establishment of the right to buy has enabled 450,000 households to own their own home. Home ownership remains the clear aspiration for the vast majority of Scots and it is wrong to deny them this through a political dogma.

"Ending the right to buy of new tenants will not increase the stock of affordable housing. It will only serve to deny councils and Registered Social Landlords the benefit of sale receipts which could be reinvested in new housing programmes at a time when their housing budgets are likely to be cut. It will also deny tenants the opportunity to buy their homes at a modest discount and remain in the communities where they have lived for at least five years.

"Today the other parties have indulged in gesture politics rather than delivered real solutions to Scotland's housing needs."

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