Landlords Own 40% Ex Council Housesx - GMB

GMB@WORK
Borough own the freehold. Marcus is an LLP member of High Holborn LLP, director of 373 New
Kings Road Freehold Ltd (letting of property) and juststjohn.com ltd.
Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said “This investigation lays bare the harsh reality of the
exploitation of our social housing stock. It shows private businesses making vast profits from the
public purse while the people these homes were built for sit on waiting lists that never move. To add
insult to injury many are using offshore tax havens to avoid paying tax on these profits.
These homes were built and designed to be rented by ordinary London families. The investigation
exposes Mrs Thatcher’s flagship policy of "right to buy" for individuals as nothing more than a
charter for the exploitation of our social housing for private profit. Her plan to create a home owning
democracy has turned into a "buy to let" bonanza.
You could not make it up that the family of one of Mrs Thatcher’s aides who served as housing
minister during the high tide of the right to buy ends up owning a vast swathe of London’s ex
council housing. While tens of thousands of ordinary London families are unable to find council
house to rent rich farmers and the elite are scooping them up by the tractor load. The "right to buy"
has turned into a rich harvest for greedy farmers and others."
End
Contact Paul Maloney GMB Regional Secretary 07901 343 839 or Paul Grafton 07714 239 093
Wandsworth Housing Report
Notes to Editors
1 Check appendix A to the attached report for information on 69 blocks of flats in Wandsworth on
the estates in SW11 2, SW11 3, SW11 4, SW11 5, SW11 6, SW12 8, SW12 9 and a single block in
SW15 4.
This information has been downloaded from publically accessible records from the Land Registry,
the official land registration service for England and Wales. The Land Registry provides details on
the registered owners of property and land. It is compulsory to register all land and property which
changes ownership or has a mortgage for the first time. Since 1990 the Land Registry has been
open to public inspection governed by Section 66 of the Land Registration Act 2002 which provides
for register information to be publically available. Further details are available from
http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/landlords-own-40-percent-ex-council-houses Page 10/15
Join online today at www.gmb.org.uk/join
GMB Euston Office: 22 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD • Tel: 020 8391 6700 • email: info@gmb.org.uk