VanessaAgreed. The government originally defined key workers as nurses and other NHS clinical staff, teachers in schools and in further education and sixth form colleges, police officers and some civilian staff, prison and probation service staff, social workers, educational psychologists, planners (in London) and occupational therapists employed by local authorities; and whole-time junior fire officers and retained fire fighters (all grades) in some fire and rescue services. Since then the scope has been opened up by cetain local authorities who can see that catering for the kind of workers you highlighted makes sense. The downside is that if the Housing Corporation and their funders, the government find out that the scope is widening too far away from the original definition, they get rather up tight about future funding and start wielding the proverbial stick. We all need our essential services which includes the postal staff, the shop workers, the refuse workers, the transport workers etc - not all of which are from the 'public' sector. Ken Livingstone is one of the few who are working to open up the housing market to cater for these essential workers. I wish him good luck and hope that he achieves his aim.
Gareth Evans ● 6574d