Perhaps the writer of the Independent article was using a bit of journalistic licence in describing the move as "a surprise". The plan to move households from Westminster to properties in Hounslow was outlined in the Evening Standard of 21 April 2016 ( http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/westminster-plan-to-build-homes-in-outer-london-a3230601.html ). I believe that Westminster have already bought properties in other boroughs including Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and Haringey.Other London boroughs have bought properties outside their areas. These include Ealing (in Slough, Hillingdon, Staines), Harrow (in Aylesbury, Watford and Ealing, Redbridge (in Canterbury) and Wandsworth (in Croydon, Kingston and Surrey).We know that Hounslow itself has placed many homeless families in temporary private rented accommodation in locations including Ealing, Hammersmith, Hillingdon, Reading, Slough, Hertfordshire and Birmingham. It would be surprising if Hounslow had not at least considered the possibility of buying properties in areas outside the borough.The scale of the housing problem is such that it is inappropriate to argue that every local authority should look only inside its own boundaries to find solutions. Spiralling house prices, ever-increasing rents and changes to benefit regulations mean that the last thing London (and the UK) needs is a parochial approach to housing provision. Accusations of "social cleansing" are not helpful within the context of the current housing market despite the fact that Westminster do not have a good track record on this issue. We should direct our anger at those in government responsible for failing to develop effective policies to tackle our disgraceful national failures on housing provision and, more broadly, to fight social inequality.
Jim Storrar ● 3162d