Housing MP Gavin Barwell CLASHES with young disabled renter after housing White Paper snub

BBC

Housing MP Barwell clashed with a young disabled renter on Newsnight

In a bid to defend the White Paper that Newsnight Host Emily Maitlis deemed empty, Gavin Barwell, engaged in a furious debate with the renter and appeared to go on the offensive about her current situation.

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Explaining her living and disability conditions, Kamila Hale said upon seven years of graduating, she has been forced to move back home into an unsuitable first floor flat.

Criticising the housing White Paper Sajid Javid released today, Ms Hale said: “I think obviously there’s nothing there for disabled people.

“There are young disabled people just like me who have the same problems that these guys have but then we’ve got our own problems on top. I feel like a lot of the time, that’s not considered in policies.”

The young renter can be forced to spend weeks indoors because she is unable to get out of her house, and her council said they are unable to help her find a disabled-friendly accommodation because she has a lot of savings.

Stunned by her remarks, 45-year-old Barwell retaliated: “So…this is a real concern.”

BBC

Barwell, far right, pointed at the young renter as he defended the white paper

Pointing at her, he continued: “We’ve changed this area of policy, so there are now accessibility standards that councils are required to use a minimum one and there are higher levels they can apply.”

But his voice raised as Maitlis interrupted him, demanding why all councils do not already implement the higher levels of housing accessibility.

BBC

The sides of Barwell's face glistened as he listened formed a defensive

Barwell continued: “The depressing thing about her [Kamillah's] story is that she lives in London, and the Greater London Authority has actually applied those standards – so the situation in London is actually better than other parts of the country.”

Within the long-awaited White Paper, the Government promised a fresh wave of home building across England as ministers admitted that home ownership is a “distant dream” for many young families.

Javid said: “Our housing market is broken. We have to build more of the right homes in the right places, and we have to start right now."

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