The Street

[Clitheroekid]

I watched this documentary about the gentrification of Hoxton on Amazon Prime last night, and it was excellent - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detai ... share_cu_r

Although it was set in Hoxton it's a story that could just as easily have been filmed in any of the other areas of London that used to be working class areas but which have now been gentrified.

What was particularly shocking was the way that what had once been council housing had been sold off (one of the worst policy decisions ever IMO) and that the modern day Rachmans who had bought the properties were now effectively renting them back to the Council at extortionate rents.

One guy was living in a single room 12' x 9' `flat', which was one of three that had been created out of a single council flat, and he (or more accurately the Council) was paying £235 pw for it. As he said, he couldn't afford to work as he'd lose his housing benefit, and could never earn enough to cover the rent.

The housing situation in the UK is an utter disgrace - but ignore my rants and watch the film, you won't regret it.

[Redmires]

Funnily enough, I've just finished watching 'Our Friends In The North' for the first time which was released in 1996. Highlighting the housing scandals from the 60's to the 90's, it also catalogued the corruption in politics and the Met police, the drastic cuts to welfare, the failure of government and the despair in the country. It was like watching the current news. Nothing changes.