Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
Yes - as I said above, if you believe in the creation of a property-owning democracy with a high degree of personal responsibiility, then you're going to try to prevent those who oppose you from undermining that aim by building large numbers of council houses and then letting them at super-low, ratepayer-subsidised rents.
Thatcher moved in an age when the battle between state socialism and private capitalism was live and hot, and the issue of whether or not the state should provide almost everything, and regulate that which it did not provide, was by no means settled. Her determination to not only give people the chance to own their own homes, but also to prevent left-wing metropolitan councils from undermining her aim, should be seen in that overall context.
And, as I also said above, it is far too easy to simply blame Thatcher for our current housing shortage. The blame for that lies in the failure to reform planning legislation, and the willingness of those already on the property ladder to impede the chances of those who aspire to get on it.
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Rate payer subsidised rent
unless they're in receipt of some sort of benefit how are they subsidised?