You are here: Home » News »

800% rise in families living in B&Bs – Media and blog round up: February 18th 2013

February 18, 2013 10:12 am

Tags:

Share this Article

Subscribers to our morning email get the best of LabourList – including the Media and blog round up. If you were on our email list you’d have received this an hour ago – you can sign up here.

800% rise in families living in B&Bs

“The number of homeless families living in B&Bs has jumped more than 800% in two years. Those staying in temporary accommodation in England for more than six weeks rose from 100 in October 2010 to 880 in December 2012, say the Government figures. Ex-Housing Minister Grant Shapps last year claimed the “vast majority of councils had no families in B&Bs”. Some councils are now spending up almost £2,000 each week on hotel bills.” - Mirror

“An analysis shows that local authorities across England are now spending on average up to £650 a week to keep people off the streets. Freedom of information requests by Labour to 325 councils, to which 242 responded, reveal that 125 had resorted to placing destitute families in hotel rooms for six weeks or more since April 2010. This figure challenges claims by ministers that only a “small number” of town halls put families in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the legal limit.” - Guardian

Police to investigate Mid-Staffs

“Amid mounting political and public pressure, the force has decided to re-examine the evidence relating to the scandal. The police force is working with specialist prosecutors from the Crown Prosecution Service to examine possible charges. The new review will take evidence this week from families and campaign groups, and is due to report to senior officers and politicians in two weeks. The work is being led by a senior officer, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Baker.” - Telegraph

Other highlights

Related posts:

  1. Tories leading in Eastleigh – Media and blog round up: February 8th 2013
  2. Clegg and Cable in talks with Miliband – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  3. Douglas Alexander says Iraq did more harm than good – Media and blog round up: February 15th 2013
  4. Tories to extend “unlawful” workfare schemes – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  5. A “Dirty tricks” campaign against Labour staff? – Media and blog round up: February 6th 2013

Latest

  • Featured Labour’s lead is slipping and its main rivals are still the Tories (remember them?)

    Labour’s lead is slipping and its main rivals are still the Tories (remember them?)

    By Rob Marchant

    The Independent’s poll of polls announced last week showed two things: the first is that Labour’s poll lead is slipping (to five points, its lowest level in a year, a year which has been abysmal for the Tories). This is exactly what we would expect, it is doing what pretty much every mid-term lead has ever done – evaporating. There’s a bit more analysis behind that here. That does not mean it should not concern us and growing consciousness of [...]

    Read more →
  • News Seats and Selections Selections roundup – including the No.1 seat on Labour’s target seat list, and a double-header in Brighton

    Selections roundup – including the No.1 seat on Labour’s target seat list, and a double-header in Brighton

    There were a number of Labour PPCs selected over the weekend as the selection process for 2015 continues to heat up. There were two selections on the same day in Brighton, one in Warrington – and the candidate for Labour’s No.1 target seat was selected. North Warwickshire and Bedworth – the party’s No.1 target seat chose their PPC on Saturday, and former MP Mike O’Brien was (re)selected on Saturday to try and reclaim the seat for Labour. He lost out in [...]

    Read more →
  • Comment Say No to the recall of MPs!

    Say No to the recall of MPs!

    By Brian Barder

    I have been surprised by the extent of media and other support, including editorially by the Guardian, for the proposal now espoused by the government for a given percentage of an MP’s constituents to be allowed to ‘recall’ him or her between elections, either ending his political career or forcing him to vacate his seat and stand for re-election in a by-election. This whole idea seems to me misconceived.  Fear of de-selection already makes too many MPs slaves of their [...]

    Read more →
  • Comment Featured There’s much to welcome from Stephen Twigg’s speech – but many questions too. What do you want to ask him?

    There’s much to welcome from Stephen Twigg’s speech – but many questions too. What do you want to ask him?

    By Mark Ferguson

    There’s much to welcome from Stephen Twigg’s major speech on schools today. Some will doubtless dwell on the news that Labour has no plans to close pre-existing free schools, but this isn’t a new policy – it’s one Twigg made clear was Labour’s policy when I interviewed him last year and one he reiterated a few months later. I’d rather focus on his announcement that there will be no more Free Schools under a Labour government (which some have hilariously try [...]

    Read more →
  • Featured News “It’s not over until it’s over” – Waheed Alli and the fight for Equal Marriage

    “It’s not over until it’s over” – Waheed Alli and the fight for Equal Marriage

    By Mark Ferguson

    Waheed Alli doesn’t strike me as someone who leaves things to chance. Being successful in politics, finance and the media doesn’t come by chance. And neither does winning a vote in the Lords on Equal Marriage. Over the past fifteen years (since he became a peer aged just 34 – making him the then youngest peer in parliament – in 1998) Alli has been closely involved with many important pieces of Equality legislation. In particular, he is credited with spearheading [...]

    Read more →