PM says people should be proud to live on a council estate.

The Conservatives have changed their tune a bit since Thatcher sold off all the decent council houses back in the 80's.
Is there a stigma now in the UK if people live in council/social housing?

"Theresa May today insisted people should be 'proud' to live on council estates as she vowed to end the 'stigma' of social housing.
The Prime Minister condemned sneering attitudes towards housing association and council house tenants, who she says have nothing to be ashamed of.
She said council house tenants were our 'friends and neighbours' and 'not second-rate citizens', as she announced £2billion for new housing association properties.
Residents should be able to say they were an 'estate person' without feeling looked down on. 'They should be proud to call it their home,' she added. "



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6182395/Council-house-tenants-friends-neighbours-not-second-rate-citizens-says-Theresa-May.html

I think most of us were proud, there wasn't any difference most people who lived in private houses paid rent as well, we did when I was young then moved to a council house, we'd been on the list for a while because our house was to be knocked down. There weren't that many I knew who owned their own house. The council house was way better, even had indoor toilet and wonder of wonders, a bath room which was like the artic in winter but better than the tin bath ritual, although why did people think it was ok to have no heating in even fairly newly built council houses, except the living room fire? Even older houses had fire places in bedrooms if big enough, electric fires were so expensive to run even then.

Vintage wrote:I think most of us were proud, there wasn't any difference most people who lived in private houses paid rent as well, we did when I was young then moved to a council house, we'd been on the list for a while because our house was to be knocked down. There weren't that many I knew who owned their own house. The council house was way better, even had indoor toilet and wonder of wonders, a bath room which was like the artic in winter but better than the tin bath ritual, although why did people think it was ok to have no heating in even fairly newly built council houses, except the living room fire? Even older houses had fire places in bedrooms if big enough, electric fires were so expensive to run even then.

I agree with you Vintage that when we grew up most working class people lived in council houses or rented accommodation. We lived in a police house (my dad was a policeman) but he left, and very soon after the houses were sold to a private landlord, in those days there were less rules and regulations regarding landlord obligations towards tenants, (remember Rachmanism) and the houses went to seed very quickly whilst the landlord ripped off the tenants.

After the houses were eventually demolished , not before time either, my mum and I were housed in a council property which was lovely.
Soon after I married we bought our house, which is the one we still live in today.

By this time people were being encouraged to buy their own homes, which left many in negative equity and worse off then they were before.
I think around that time peoples opinions did change towards council or social house dwellers. I have seen it myself, quite a snobbish attitude towards people who live in social housing.

If Theresa May can turn that round by building more decent social housing, good for her.

The council estate we lived on was very nicely situated with nice views all around and apart from one or two families everyone either kept their gardens neat and/or actually had a veg plot. The estate near where I live now is also in a prime position and the private estate across the road is in a dip on what was rather wet ground with little in the way of view. Our old landlord took the rent but wouldn't repair anything, my father tried to do what he could to maintain it but we just didn't have any spare money to spend on it in that way.

Fireplaces in Bed rooms, I had one when I was around 8 yrs old. I remember my Dad taking a shovel full of hot coals and going up the stairs with it to put in the Bedroom Grate before I went to bed !

nicko wrote:Fireplaces in Bed rooms,  I had one when I was around 8 yrs old. I remember my Dad taking a shovel full of hot coals and going up the stairs with it to put in the Bedroom Grate before I went to bed !

We had 2 fireplaces upstairs and 2 down.... the upstairs were never made up, the parlour one was only lit for special occasions, the fireplace in the kitchen, where we mostly lived was always lit. I used to make the fire when I came in from school, my mum was working and my older sister did sod all....a dirty job looking back, but at the time it was the norm.

Vintage wrote:The council estate we lived on was very nicely situated with nice views all around and apart from one or two families everyone either kept their gardens neat and/or actually had a veg plot. The estate near where I live now is also in a prime position and the private estate across the road is in a dip on what was rather wet ground with little in the way of view.  Our old landlord took the rent but wouldn't repair anything, my father tried to do what he could to maintain it but we just didn't have any spare money to spend on it in that way.

I think back then people took pride in their council houses more than they do now on many estates.
The problem is imo, when Thatcher sold all the council houses off, eventually landlords bought them and they ended up in disrepair...just a cash cow for the greedy.
The council houses that were left as social housing were the worst of the bunch, and unfortunately not many new council houses were built to replace the ones that were sold off.

nicko wrote:Fireplaces in Bed rooms,  I had one when I was around 8 yrs old. I remember my Dad taking a shovel full of hot coals and going up the stairs with it to put in the Bedroom Grate before I went to bed !

I remember council house bedroom fireplaces as well, Nicko. However, in our case my old dad had a disconcerting and pretty incendiary habit when starting a fire; he put sugar on the embryonic flames to get a good blaze going and then, for good measure, held a sheet of newspaper over the smallish grate opening, theoretically to entice a blast of air through the bottom of the grate.

The result was a bit like firing up a small blast furnace and on one memorable occasion the newspaper caught fire as well...and so did the chimney because the mean old bugger wouldn't pay for a chimney sweep and had tried to do the job himself with a small household brush taped to one of his runner bean garden canes.

Mum finally put a stop to the practice when on another occasion he used several sheets of newspaper at once together with more sugar than usual, starting a major conflagration that overflowed from the grate and ruined her prized and expensive hearthrug!

Gawd, you lot must be toffs! or maybe we were just tough.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

nicko wrote:Fireplaces in Bed rooms,  I had one when I was around 8 yrs old. I remember my Dad taking a shovel full of hot coals and going up the stairs with it to put in the Bedroom Grate before I went to bed !

I remember council house bedroom fireplaces as well, Nicko. However, in our case my old dad had a disconcerting and pretty incendiary habit when starting a fire; he put sugar on the embryonic flames to get a good blaze going and then, for good measure, held a sheet of newspaper over the smallish grate opening, theoretically to entice a blast of air through the bottom of the grate.

The result was a bit like firing up a small blast furnace and on one memorable occasion the newspaper caught fire as well...and so did the chimney because the mean old bugger wouldn't pay for a chimney sweep and had  tried to do the job himself with a small household brush taped to one of his runner bean garden canes.

Mum finally put a stop to the practice when on another occasion he used several sheets of newspaper at once together with more sugar than usual, starting a major conflagration that overflowed from the grate and ruined her prized and expensive hearthrug!

I bet they laughed about it later. …….(not)

I remember some horrendous sootfalls I had to clear up. Soot got everywhere, on every surface, it even managed to reach the back of the kitchen if it was a big fall.

Some council estates in inner London are absolute shit buckets. Some of those people live like pigs.

I agree some people live like savages then again they'd probably live that way where ever they were, you could probably find them a mansion and they'd wreck it. There were plenty of slums around here but many kept them spotless where they could despite the conditions. many didn't though.

Benefit scroungers that breed for a living usually live on council estates. It only takes a few such families to drag an area down.

Well there's a very sweet old couple in London who are enormously proud of their council estate. 

I call it a council estate cos it is totally funded, maintained and renovated by the local council, free of charge.  Huge sprawling estate, with hundreds of bedrooms,  several acres of premium hunting and fishing land.


Yep, Liz & Phil are proud.

How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?. . . .

I clearly explained how, in my second paragraph. 
Ever heard of irony or satire? 
You are quite humourless these days - not my fault honey!

Jules wrote:

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?. . . .

I clearly explained how, in my second paragraph. 
Ever heard of irony or satire? 
You are quite humourless these days - not my fault honey!

How is it even funny, unless you are someone bitter about others doing well?

Not my fault, you were brought up on a silver spoon honey

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Moi a chardonnay socialist ???

Don't think so..

Not only don't I live in the right suburb, nor drive the right car; I also don't drink much wine.

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Didge you are often quite inwards looking in debate. Do you think you are the only one who has suffered poverty and managed to work themselves out of it on here? Others including me have spoken about the real poverty driven struggles we have been through in the past.
Eilzel is very open about his struggles with sexuality, but you cant say he is the only one here who has struggled with that....you simply dont know.

Syl wrote:

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Didge you are often quite inwards looking in debate. Do you think you are the only one who has suffered poverty and managed to work themselves out of it on here? Others including me have spoken about the real poverty driven struggles  we have been through in the past.
Eilzel is very open about his struggles with sexuality, but you cant say he is the only one here who has struggled with that....you simply dont know.

Where did I claim I am the only one?

Never did

Are you a socialist?

So why would you think you are included in my comments above as not having been through this?

Next

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Moi a chardonnay socialist  ???

Don't think so..

Not only don't I live in the right suburb, nor drive the right car;  I also don't drink much wine.

That is actually very amusing

Oh I thought you said...Not one on here from the left has every struggled.

I lean more to the left as do plenty others.

Next.

Syl wrote:Oh I thought you said...Not one on here from the left has every struggled.

I lean more to the left as do plenty others.

Next.

Are you a socialist?

Then did I say all or most to this?

Next

I think you need to get your facts straight before you jump in with both feet

Didge wrote:

Syl wrote:Oh I thought you said...Not one on here from the left has every struggled.

I lean more to the left as do plenty others.

Next.

Are you a socialist?

Then did I say all or most to this?

Next

I think you need to get your facts straight before you jump in with both feet

I responded to what you said....which was the sentence outlined.
Maybe you should choose your words more carefully in future.

Laters...have a nice day.

Syl wrote:

Didge wrote:

Are you a socialist?

Then did I say all or most to this?

Next

I think you need to get your facts straight before you jump in with both feet

I responded to what you said....which was the sentence outlined.
Maybe you should choose your words more carefully  in future.

Laters...have a nice day.

Nah, very happy with what I said thanks

Laters

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Didge wrote:How is that a council estate?

My parents lived many years renting and then later on a council estate. I came to be part of a multiethnic community this way. Its why as half Irish. I was able to walk down the Front line of Brixton to see relatives. At a time, when this was a no go area for many white people.

This is why I am more and more looking at the left as nothing more than people of self entitlement. Not one on here from the left has every struggled. Other than Eilzel, facing hostility due to his sexaulity. Most are champagne middle class socialist halfwits.

I grew up in poverty and understand very well the benefits of council houses and estates.

Moi a chardonnay socialist  ???

Don't think so..

Not only don't I live in the right suburb, nor drive the right car;  I also don't drink much wine.

Oh take no notice.
I saw his insults to me and I never bite when Didge insults, cos it's so commonplace tbh. 
When he curses me & my fellow LW-ers I regard his curses as practically terms of endearment, don't mind at all.  


I never bite! Have a nice day, Didge.