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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Keir Starmer

A place where everyone has somewhere of their own, to thrive and feel safe – this will be my politics of home

A block of flats under construction in east London.
A block of flats under construction in east London. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

Growing up, I remember how important our home was to my family. I know I get raised eyebrows now when I mention that pebble-dashed semi, but that doesn’t negate the point. Our house was not just a roof over our heads – it was our home. A place of security and a focal point for our family. A place to build out from and hope for a better future.

So it is simply shocking that under the long years of Tory rule, so many people across our country were left without a stable place to call their own. Children were left languishing in temporary accommodation, too often without proper places to play, eat and sleep. Families were left in limbo on waiting lists for years. Young care leavers were denied a permanent place to live. And, incredibly, domestic abuse survivors found themselves forced out of their homes because landlords lacked the powers to make their abuser the one who must leave.

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