THE LABOUR candidate at the next General Election has issued a statement over the controversial bid for Newham Council to buy 172 homes in a new development near Harlow railway station.

Chris Vince said: “The Conservatives have always promoted and championed private developments in Harlow.  However, the reality is a private developer can chose who they sell their property to on the open market.

The Conservatives also champion private landlords, in fact many of them are private landlords, yet they don’t like it when the landlord who buys property on the open market isn’t one of their friends!?

However, let’s be clear, it is the Conservative government that allow developers to buy their way out of section 106 agreements.

It’s the Conservative government who allow developments like this to happen and fine councils when they object (which we did and were).

Its the Conservative government that mean council’s in London have huge numbers of vulnerable people who need housing and it’s the Conservatives who have taken powers away from local communities.

Its also the Conservative government who are to blame that when families do come to Harlow they will find their children being taught in tents, front line police officers forced to back fill staff roles, unprecedented queues at A and E, queues at Harlow food banks, long waits to see their GP and dentist, not to mention huge heating and food bills.

My question to Conservative run Harlow Council is what are they going to do to stop this happening in other developments across the town including the Occasio house site?

“When Labour were in power instead of trying to agitate other councils, like the current MP is, we actually negotiated.  Sadly that’s the sort of grown up politics his government has been sadly lacking”.