Rayner announces plan to tighten up right to buy council homes in England

Angela Rayner: ‘Too many social homes have been sold off before they can be replaced, which has directly contributed to the worst housing crisis in living memory.’ Photograph: House of Commons/Reuters

Ministers will make it harder for tenants in England to buy their own council homes under changes designed to increase Britain’s stock of socially rented housing, Angela Rayner has announced.

The housing secretary said on Wednesday that the government would consult on a series of changes to limit the number of people who can qualify for government-subsidised discounts to buy their houses.