With an average wage of £13,000 per year how does an average Walker resident afford a new home with prices starting at £125,000?
Not a new GCSE question for the region's young people but a question at the heart of Ian Wright's interview on the BBC Politics Show this weekend. Wright, now the Minister in charge of Demolition, babbled about £1 billion in national investment and £100 million in local investment. Unfortunately despite being a shed load of cash that money barely covers 5% of the Northern Rock bailout. Here in Saltwell and Bensham the proposed demolition will come in at a cool £40 million.
So back to the original question. How do poorly paid families afford housing in Walker? The minister's answer was they don't! OK he didn't use those words. Instead he spoke about diversity in the community. Which means selling houses to people from outside the area who can afford high prices. It means a minimal number of houses for rent. It means relying on the private sector to build.
Richard Moss, the BBC Political Editor in the North East, can spot an open goal when he sees one. So he produced the figures that says BridgingNewcastleGateshead have demolished thousands of homes but built just 227. Of course when we say built we really mean sold off land to private millionaire builders for profit rather than hire any actual builders.
Wright babbled that nationally far more houses had been refurbished and threw in a few good New Labour words about building communities just to divert the interviewer.
Moss pressed the minister on the examples in the film showing people being forced out of the area and pointed out that few people could now get mortgages. This kind of argument didn't deter a Minister trying to defend the economics of the madhouse. Again he babbled about supporting communities with millions.
Perhaps the Minister should read the National Audit Office report that said Pathfinder had made no difference with many properties being sold to buy to let investors. Even MPs on the Public Accounts Committee questioned the flagship demolition programme.
The minister seems unable to understand the basic economics of living in a place in Walker. Perhaps this is a general problem of politicians in Westminster. They have generous salaries by national standards, travel to work paid for, generous pensions, and their second homes are paid for by the taxpayer at a time when most working people are struggling to pay for their own (first) home.
Link
BBC North East Politics Show
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