THE chief fexecutive of Brighton Housing Trust Andy Winter, in Opinion, highlights the shocking truth that numbers of people forced to sleep rough have doubled since 2010 – only too evident in Brighton and Hove.  The presence of shocking numbers of people without homes, without hope or health and without dignity is morally wrong and a scandalous reflection of inequality in a 21st century Britain which has never been wealthier than presently.

So often, and on so many important social issues, Government trots out the mantra that has become its motif – this Government is putting resources into address the issue.   Then, with public scrutiny deflected by hollow statements, precisely nothing happens, exactly as Andy Winter explains with the Government’s Rough Sleeping Task force announced in 2017 and only convening an inaugural meeting last week, confirming his belief that rough sleeping is a low priority for this Government.

Andy Winter pleads for Government intervention to do more for homelessness and rough sleeping.   Truth is that this Government - if it can be rightly called a government in the sense of governing Britain – abrogates and ignores its duties and responsibilities constantly.  Reflect on the raft of social issues that should be addressed.  Crucial social issues are ignored by the Government.   Why?   Simply because this Government and its party is ideologically tethered to austerity and neo-liberal principles which demand less Government involvement in governing, lower taxes on business, less welfare provision, less public spending, more privatisation.

 And just look at the how franchising our railways has served the people of the South Coast.  The list of shortcomings and failures is endless.   How much more pain and suffering is needed to realise their ideology fails social needs ?

Andy Winter’s call for Government intervention to end rough sleeping is a forlorn one.   Only a change in Government offers any real hope of ending the tragedy of homelessness and rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove.

Keith W D Jago

Uplands Road

Brighton

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