Peers threaten revolt on plans to scrap council house inheritance

 

 

Peers threatened to scupper the proposals announced today by the Department of Communities and Local Government that would put an end to the rules that allowed the tenancy of a council house to be passed on to the next generation.

“Where will it end?” asked a spokesman at a hastily called meeting of Noble Lords in a well-known club in Pall Mall. “This could be the thin edge of the wedge for traditional landowners who have held their house and estate for generations. Some of us can trace our claim back to the Norman Conquest when our ancestors were granted land in return for service of one sort or another.”

The spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, went on to say, “We stand shoulder to shoulder with these council tenant chappies. It is every man’s right to pass on his house to the next generation. The working class is already burdened with excessive taxation and it is totally unfair to expect someone who lives on benefits to take out a mortgage and get into a lifetime of debt.”

Asked why he thought the poor should continue to pay the highest proportion of taxes, the spokesman became flustered and said, “I can tell you that tax avoidance and nom-dom status is not illegal. We landowners make a living from tenants, land speculation, and property development. Some people say that this is unearned income. Did you ever hear of such a thing! There are even some organisations that claim that location value is created by the community and has nothing to do with us landlords. And I am told they actually advocate the collection of the annual land rental value as a fair and just basis for public revenue. Is nothing sacred? Are we all to be reduced to taxpayers?”

There was a standing ovation and our reporter was sure that at least one or two ladies were seen moving a handkerchief to one eye.