Nigel Farage’s party pledges to send ‘foreign nationals to the back of the queue’ in manifesto
Reform UK has pledged to reform social housing allocation laws in its manifesto.
Nigel Farage’s party, which is currently ranked in third place in BBC’s poll tracker with an estimated vote share of 15%, also vowed to shake up planning rules.
The party said that within 100 days of being elected it would change social housing laws to “Prioritise local people and those who have paid into the system”.
It said: “Foreign nationals must go to the back of the queue, not the front”.
The manifesto does not say how Reform UK intends to achieve this.
Current allocations policy
The current system of allocating social housing already gives greater priority to UK citizens over foreign nationals in many circumstances.
Under current rules, to be eligible for social housing, applicants have to be a British or Irish citizen, have indefinite leave to remain, settled status from the EU settlement scheme, refugee status, right of abode or leave to remain as a “stateless person”.
Many councils now give extra priority points to people who have a connection to the area, such as living in the area for a number of years.
Reform UK also said it would fast-track planning and tax incentives to encourage development on brownfield sites and would implement a ‘loose fit planning’ policy for large residential developments with preapproved guidelines and developer requirements.
The manifesto outlined a range of tax cuts, including the abolition of net zero targets and green energy subsidies, which the party said would save £30bn a year and save households £500 in annual bills.
It also said it would raise the threshold for stamp duty on properties from £250,000 to £750,000, cut corporation tax from 25% to 15% and lift the VAT threshold for businesses from £90,000 to £120,000.
>>See also: Labour criticised over omission of 40% affordable housing target from manifesto
>>See also: Sector welcomes Labour’s plans for housing targets and planning reform
>>See also: Sector reacts to Conservative Party’s ‘unbalanced’ and ‘frustrating’ manifesto
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