'Shapps taking us back to Tebbit times' - Jack Dromey

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Local Government

Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey has claimed the Government’s new house swap scheme is taking Britain back to Lord Tebbit's times.

Responding to the launch of the HomeSwap Direct scheme yesterday, the Labour Shadow Minister said: “This is Grant’s latest gimmick. And it is overhyping something that has happened for years. Of course, it should be made easier for people to move if they want to.

"Grant Shapps wants to take Britain back to the Tebbit times with his social housing swap scheme. Then it was ‘on yer bike’. Now it’s ‘on yer website’."

HomeSwap Direct was announced by Housing Minister Grant Shapps last week and was officially launched yesterday.

Ministers say the online 'HomeSwap Direct' scheme will give council tenants who want to move house - to be closer to a new job, their family, or to a property better suited to their needs - greater choice by allowing them to see a much wider selection of properties than ever before.

Until now tenants have been restricted to swapping properties with other tenants in the scheme chosen by their landlord - effectively meaning only a partial swap scheme existed.

In 1981, Lord Tebbit, then Secretary of State for employment implied that the jobless should get on their bike and look for work.

The HomeSwap Direct scheme will bring together four internet-based providers of mutual exchange services (HomeSwapper, House Exchange, Abritas and LHS (Locata) to offer tenants more choice over where they live.

Mr Dromey said: “The ‘big problem’ is a Housing Minister presiding over a housing crisis, a slump in house building, a failing mortgage market and soaring rents in the private sector.

"And he is part of an out of date, out of touch Tory-led Government that is locked into an austerity package, a flat-lining economy and rising unemployment. Shelter is right. Home swaps are ‘a drop in the ocean’ in the context of the wider housing crisis.”

In an interview with 24dash, Mr Shapps said: “Homeswap Direct will enable social tenants to move from anywhere to anywhere. A lot of people mistakenly go ‘oh, this is just a gimmick and it’s already available’ but I can guarantee you it’s not.

“For the first time ever in social housing every single possible swap will be available in one place. We’ve encouraged landlords to share their data so we can make a truly national scheme. And it’s very exciting.”