Corbyn: Nobody should be homeless this Christmas in sixth-richest country in the world

Jeremy Corbyn has issued a fresh warning of the impact of loneliness at Christmas and the “shocking rise” in homelessness under the Tories.

The Labour leader attacked the government’s policies on helping the poorest people in society as he paid tribute to the “goodwill and generosity” of those who give up their time to help the vulnerable.

He also used his Christmas message to make a pitch to the public on the basis of his “Labour values” which he described as love for your neighbour, a willingness to work together and hope that conditions can be improved.

Corbyn spoke out at the end of a turbulent year for Labour but focussed on the failures of the Tories, especially over the care provided to the poorest in the sixth richest country in the world, and highlighted his visit to a leading homelessness charity in central London.

“It’s a time of year. where many of us get time off, where we spend time with our family and our loved ones. But for others, it’s a time of increased loneliness and despair. On the streets of our cities and towns there has been a shocking rise in homelessness.

“That’s why I visited Centrepoint, a charity that does vital work in London, Bradford and Sunderland, giving opportunities to homeless young people and helping them off the streets.

“But the fact is in the sixth richest country in the world no-one should be on the streets in the first place. But Shelter say that 120,000 children will spend this Christmas without a home to call their own.”

Corbyn and shadow housing secretary John Healey has frequently attacked the Tories over the number of people sleeping rough.

Today Healey published new figures which showed a signficiant rise in homelessness among groups classed as vulnerable.

Labour said figures “buried” in the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government show the number of families accepted by local authorities as homeless where a person in the household is vulnerable through mental illness has risen by 53 per cent over six years.

The number of households with dependent children accepted as homeless has increased by nearly two thirds (62 per cent) and by nearly half (49 per cent) for those with a physical disability.

Corbyn added: “That’s why Labour has pledged to put an end to homeless people having to sleep rough on the streets. We will effectively end rough sleeping within our first term in government. We’d help do that by doubling the number of homes ‘ring-fenced’ for people who have slept on the streets.”

At this time of year the generosity of ordinary people helps the vulnerable and the lonely – Corbyn’s Christmas message