LOCAL AUTHORITY tenants in Scotland will no longer have the right to buy their home following the reversal by the Scottish parliament of landmark changes brought in by Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980s.
The legislation was passed with the support of the Scottish National Party, Labour and Liberal Democrats, but in the teeth of strong opposition from the 16 Conservative MSPs.
The Tory MSPs claimed tenants’ rights to own their home had led to the biggest social change in Scotland in 50 years, but this was now being sacrificed to political dogma.
Nearly 500,000 tenants in Scotland have bought council properties since the Housing Act was brought in by Mrs Thatcher.
The abolition of the right to sell will boost the stock of affordable homes available for letting and encourage local authorities to return to building homes, knowing that the stock will not be immediately depleted.
The SNP minority government has provided councils with £80 million this year to build 3,500 homes. Bob Doris MSP said: “Today’s Bill restores the ability of councils to invest in housing for the long-term and ends the destruction of council housing begun by Mrs Thatcher’s right-to-buy.”
However, Conservative MSP David McLetchie said: “Ending the right to buy of new tenants will not increase the stock of affordable housing. It will only serve to deny councils and registered social landlords the benefit of sale receipts which could be reinvested in new housing programmes at a time when their housing budgets are likely to be cut.”
Tenants have the right to buy under the original terms of the Act if they began their tenancy before September 2002, although those who rented later on will have less generous terms.
