Lib Dems hit back after Labour council house slur

Published on Mon 18th Feb 2008

The East Lothian Liberal Democrats have today hit back at the Labour council group after it was alleged by Willie Innes, Labour's council leader, that the Liberal Democrats were opposed to council housing. Judy Hayman, a prominent member of the East Lothian Lid Dems hit back saying "nothing could be further from the truth."

Mrs Hayman continued, "From the start of the Tory introduction of Right to Buy, to the present day, the Liberal Democrats have campaigned that the money raised should be reinvested by Councils in building new houses to replace their stock. The continuation of the freeze on council house building by Labour in Westminster is a fact which Mr Innes conveniently overlooks."

"The new Lib Dem/SNP administration in East Lothian is to be congratulated on giving priority in its budget to the building of new Council houses, the speeding up of the neglected maintenance and upgrade of existing stock AND for cooperating with the housing association sector in their development projects."

"If the goal is the elimination of homelessness and the improvement of housing conditions for the families of East Lothian, young and old, then we in the Liberal Democrats are all for it. As we always have been."