Lee Anderson has suggested that Reform UK could evict people from social housing if they don’t maintain and de-weed their gardens.
On Monday, Reform announced their plans to prioritise British-born workers under 35 when allocating social housing if it were to get into power.
The party would also prioritise former military service personnel and married couples with children for social housing, whilst removing foreign born nationals from their existing social home.
But Reform MP Lee Anderson also suggested that his party would willing to chuck people out of social housing if they don’t keep their properties decorated and gardens looked after.
Speaking at the announcement, Anderson said: “If you go back in time and look what actually happened … the people that rented council homes had to be married under a Labour, socialist government.
“They had to look after their property. They had to keep it well maintained. The gardens done and decorated, and they were inspected on a regular basis by officers from the council.”
He added: “What is wrong with expecting people who live in subsidised housing, paid for, subsidised, by the hard-working British taxpayer … to keep their house to a reasonable standard?”
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The Ashfield MP also told the Telegraph’s Amy Gibbons that he wants to crack down on people with “four foot of weeds” in their gardens or rubbish piling up in their bins.
He said social housing tenants would be expected to keep their properties “presentable” or risk eviction under Reform’s plans.
Anderson has since claimed he did not make these comments.
In a post on X, he wrote: “In 1940s post war Britain a Labour Government made sure that council houses were allocated on suitability. I then went on to say that tenants would be visited by council officers to ensure their houses were being looked after and maintained properly.
“I also said that it was not fair on working British people who live on new estates after buying their first home have to live next door to someone in social housing, gets their rent paid, doesn’t look after the property, has weeds 4 foot tall in the garden and the whole property stinks of weed.
“For clarity, these people who have no intention of working or contributing towards society should not expect to live in free social housing at the expense of hardworking taxpayers!”
