Why are so few there so few council houses now?

Tory Harold MacMillan’s government built a record 220,000 council homes. Yet in 2006-07, under Labour, it was just 250.

According to the Empty Homes Agency, Barking & Dagenham had 1,798 empty houses in 2009. Of these 420 were council properties and 442 were private homes vacant for more than six months.

The waiting list for council housing in Barking & Dagenham is 11,411 households. This is equal to 28,527 people.