Conservatives in a Dreamland over Solving Housing Crisis

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 10th Oct 2007

Speaking during a Conservative opposition day debate into Housing Paul Holmes MP called on the Conservatives to wake up to the reality of Britain's housing crisis.

"Whilst it is to be welcomed that the Conservatives have finally understood that there is a housing crisis, it is less welcome that their approach would actually help to raise house prices and add further impediments for first time buyers.

"After the announcement on stamp duty was made at the recent Conservative Party conference there policy was derided by economists as actually having the potential to raise house prices!

"In truth the Conservative Housing policy is more a case of what is not mentioned than what is, they fail to mention affordable homes that remain affordable, fail to mention increases in social homes to rent and fail to mention community land trusts.

"The Conservatives are in a dreamland if they think that raising the threshold on stamp duty will solve the housing crisis and yet again it is left to the Liberal Democrats to promote sensible solutions such as community land trusts to solve the crisis that affects millions of people."