Campaigning with Khan and Corbyn

This week Zac Goldsmith, the Tory candidate for London Mayor, said he had an ‘ethical duty’ to demolish London’s council estates. In justification for his plans, he pointed to a recent report by estate agent Savills and their claim that they could build 360,000 new homes in their place at a rate of 50,000 per year. What he didn’t say is that in order to do so, Savills recommend demolishing the council homes of over 400,000 Londoners.

In his campaign Manifesto, Sadiq Khan, the Labour candidate for London Mayor, has promised to build 50,000 new homes per year for the next decade in London, and to use his powers as Mayor to force local authorities to change their plans if they are not identifying enough land for housing. This morning we went along to Labour’s campaign to canvass the streets of Islington and asked Sadiq Khan some questions:

– Does he have an ethical duty to save London’s council estates from demolition?

– Does he intend to build these 500,000 homes on the ruins of London’s demolished council estates?

– Why is his housing policy for London being written by an estate agent?

Campaigning with Sadiq Khan today was Jeremy Corbyn, who earlier this month declared his opposition to the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill. We asked him:

– Does he support the implementation of the aims of the Housing and Planning Bill through the demolition of London’s council estates?

– Why has he not declared his opposition to Labour Council estate regeneration schemes when they threaten the homes of over 400,000 Londoners?

– Why is Labour implementing policies that are targeted at the homes and communities of their traditional voting base?

We received no answer to any of these questions, from either Sadiq Khan or Jeremy Corbyn, both of whom walked away from us, got into their cars and drove away.

If either Sadiq Khan or Jeremy Corbyn wishes to discuss these issues, which are at the heart of the housing crisis in London and therefore the campaign for London Mayor, please get in contact with us.

Until they do, we will continue to target them and their refusal to explain their policies to the Londoners whose homes and lives they threaten.