In his recent newsletter John said that it was theLiberal Democrats who introduced the triple-lock for pensions. This was actually introduced by the Conservative chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne.
The approach in his communications to his constituents seems to be very much in- line with the Lib Dem Party’s well known campaign of misinformation, which might suggest that his role is primarily that of the Lib Dem’s, rather than Horsham’s man in Westminster. It’s unclear how this very partisan approach serves our community. What is very clear, however, is that some of these misleading statements represent a disservice to some, and in the case of his most recent column, it is those who are amongst the most vulnerable who are badly served, i.e those who are at risk of homelessness.
In his column he claimed in relation to those who are under threat of eviction that ‘ under the rules we all have to follow…. the council can’t act to find you a new home until the day you are actually evicted’ It’s not clear which rules John Milne is referring to, but these are certainly not rules included in the government’s homeless prevention legislation. Under the Homeless Reduction Act 2017, local authorities have a duty to work with an applicant to prevent homelessness for up to 56 days prior to the threatened eviction date. So someone who finds themselves in need of support 56 days from the date their eviction date should approach the council as soon as possible. The council has a duty to provide help from that point, not, as John claims, only from the day of eviction. It may be that in some cases the council will struggle to find appropriate accommodation in that period, they may need to advise tenants to stay put in their accommodation beyond the eviction date, but that certainly shouldn’t prevent the council from providing as much support as they can in the 56 days up to the eviction date.
If the rules that John Milne refers to are being applied by Horsham District Council, the body with a duty to implement government rules on homelessness prevention, John Milne, as MP and as a former member of the Lib Dem administration running the council, should look into this and work with his Lib Dem colleagues to ensure that council acts in accordance with legislation. He should similarly investigate why they are, as he claims placing people in temporary accommodation and forgetting about them.
Being under threat of homelessness is a frightening and stressful experience. Those who apply to their local MP for help should not be given incorrect advice that will only make that stress even greater. We recommend that John Milne spends more time familiarising himself with government legislation so that he can provide genuine support to those who seek that from his office . And we gently suggest that whilst the Lib Dems may consider the use of misinformation an acceptable tactic in an election campaign, it is certainly not acceptable in the important role of a constituency MP.
Carol Hayton
Horsham Labour Party
Clarence Road, Horsham.