Council house plea to Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown is being urged to 'build Britain out of recession' today by kick-starting a council house building programme.

The call comes from Unite to a House of Commons inquiry into council housing.

The union wants to see thousands of construction workers spared the dole queue and given work building council homes.
 
Unite deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, said: "Labour should build Britain out of recession. Both council waiting lists and the dole queue of unemployed construction workers are lengthening daily.

"Last month, Gordon Brown made a very welcome commitment to a new generation of much needed council homes throughout Britain. Urgent action is now necessary. We need a ‘new deal for housing’ creating jobs in the construction industry and apprenticeships and hope for the young who need both.”

Unite assistant general secretary, Gail Cartmail, said: "We believe important benefits would be felt through the housing-building supply chain providing a very welcome boost to businesses and will also support manufacturers of housing and construction materials.

“Providing high quality homes will not only pump finance into local communities, but it would also help to lessen the human cost of the economic recession with the creation of thousands of jobs.”