Public backing for 'Brits-first' social housing policy » Housing » 24dash.com

A clear majority of voters back a Government minister's controversial call for a "Britons first" policy for council houses, according to a poll released today.

Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Hodge sparked a storm when she said that people whose families have been in Britain for generations should get priority for social housing over new arrivals, even if the migrants are in greater need.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson last night accused her of using "the language of the BNP (British National Party)", while his rival in the Labour deputy leadership race, Jon Cruddas, accused Ms Hodge of diverting attention away from the real issue of a shortage of council homes.

But a poll produced today for BBC2's The Daily Politics found that 69% of those questioned agreed that "British citizens should always get priority for social housing ahead of immigrant families", against 27% who disagreed.

However, the same poll found that 75% agreed with the apparently contradictory proposition that newly-arrived migrant families who work and pay tax in the UK "are entitled to the same degree of help from the state as everyone else".

And 56% said that Mrs Hodge's comments were "unwise" because of the danger they might damage community relations, against 38% who thought she was right to speak out.

The same poll found voters evenly split, 47%-47%, on the question of whether any more migrant workers should be allowed into the country.

Mrs Hodge sparked a furore last week when she said social housing policy should be rebalanced to give more weight to length of residence, citizenship and national insurance contributions.

She said indigenous families had a "legitimate sense of entitlement" that their needs should override those of recent arrivals.

Mr Johnson said Mrs Hodge had got her facts wrong, as immigration was not causing problems with social housing allocation.

Speaking on BBC1's Question Time yesterday, he said: "The problem with that is that's the kind of language of the BNP, and it's grist to the mill of the BNP, particularly as there is no evidence that there's any problem in social housing caused by immigration, none whatsoever."

Mr Cruddas - whose Dagenham constituency borders Mrs Hodge's Barking seat in east London - welcomed Mr Johnson's comments.

"Housing is allocated according to need and it is disingenuous for Margaret Hodge to suggest otherwise," said Mr Cruddas.

"The problem is lack of housing supply and it's a shame she wasn't so vocal in the campaign for the building of more council housing."

And he added: "Margaret is on the wrong side of the debate by focusing in on racialising allocation policies rather than the fundamental issues which are all about the lack of supply of affordable housing units.

"That creates the context in which the BNP can move in and racialise debates around access, based on patterns of migration."

On Tuesday, London mayor Ken Livingstone weighed into the row, warning that Mrs Hodge's suggestions could be "catastrophic for community relations".

He said new immigrants were not able to queue-jump past people with roots in the area going back generations, but in fact found it more difficult than locals to secure social housing.

Populus interviewed 1,171 adults across Britain for The Daily Politics on May 23 and 24.

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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