Angela Rayner Cuts Right to Buy Discounts After Benefiting from the Scheme
- Angela Rayner's department is considering extending the eligibility period for the Right to Buy scheme from three years to ten years.
- Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant cuts to discounts available under the scheme, particularly in London.
- Critics view this as a move against home ownership, calling it hypocritical given Rayner's own experience with the Right to Buy.
Angela Rayner has faced accusations of hypocrisy for her proposed cuts to the Right to Buy scheme, which she previously utilized. In 2007, she purchased her council home in Stockport after just three years of tenancy, a very short period that the government is now considering extending to ten years. Neighbors have noted that during part of this time, she lived with her husband in a house he purchased under the same scheme. The Chancellor has announced plans that include cutting discounts by up to 88 percent in London, indicating a significant shift in government policy regarding home ownership. Critics, including Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake, argue this move undermines opportunities for families seeking home ownership and detracts from the feeling of pride in community ownership fostered by the Right to Buy scheme. Rayner justifies her position by stating that the changes are meant to address perceived unfair discounts established by previous administrations and are necessary to prevent the loss of council housing.