Right to buy in England ‘fuelled housing crisis and cost taxpayers £200bn’
The report by the Common Wealth thinktank suggests that Margaret Thatcher's right-to-buy scheme, which allowed council tenants to purchase their homes at steep discounts, has cost UK taxpayers nearly £200 billion. The policy, introduced in 1980, has been blamed for contributing significantly to the country's housing crisis by reducing the availability of social housing. The report describes the right-to-buy scheme as one of the "largest giveaways in UK history," arguing that it has exacerbated inequality by transferring public assets to private hands at below-market prices. The findings highlight the long-term consequences of the policy, which has resulted in a severe shortage of affordable housing and increased pressures on the public housing system.
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