allowing council tenants to buy their homes was one of the ‘greatest conservative ideas of the last century’, david cameron said last night the prime minister pledged to ‘keep backing’ margaret thatcher’s flagship right to buy policy, and said its critics were hypocrites because they were usually homeowners themselves his comments follow speculation that the tories want to extend the policy, perhaps by including 25million housing association tenants harsh words: david cameron has pledged to ‘keep backing’ the right to buy policy, and said its critics were hypocrites because they were usually homeowners themselves  work and pensions secretary iain duncan smith also wants to reward social housing tenants who hold down a job for a year or more with an automatic stake in their properties in a pre election rally in essex, mr cameron said that only his party could be trusted to safeguard the green belt because he is a ‘country man’ and he claimed that a labour government would result in higher borrowing costs; pushing up mortgage cost for families by an extra £1,000 a year last night a poll found that the conservatives have taken the lead over labour – and that voters believe britain would be burdened with more debt if ed miliband wins office polling from lord ashcroft, a former tory party deputy chairman, found that the conservatives had opened up a two point lead over labour in a pre election rally in essex, mr cameron said that only his party could be trusted to safeguard the green belt because he is a ‘country man’ it also found three times as many people believe a labour government will result in more borrowing and debt than if mr cameron remained in office speaking at a property firm in colchester yesterday, the prime minister said: ‘we will give more people the chance to own their home by backing the right to buy, and more security for those who rent ‘right to buy is one of the greatest conservative ideas of the last century – because it’s about pure, undiluted aspiration ‘as conservatives we don’t believe that people’s circumstances need to be stuck in one place forever if you’re out of work – you don’t have to stay out of work ‘if you’re in poverty – you don’t have to stay in poverty if you had a difficult start in life – you don’t have to repeat the same patterns you were born into all these things can be overcome with the right opportunities ‘and that is what right to buy is about – people’s hard work taking them from being tenants in their home to owners of their home’ he added that critics of right to buy were invariably homeowners themselves ‘whatever some social commentators say, people do have a deep desire to own a place of their own,’ he said ‘and it’s interesting – often the people who criticise right to buy, who think it’s unnecessary, are speaking from the comfort and security of a home that they own rally: david cameron applauds a speaker as he prepares to deliver a speech setting out the conservative party's sixth manifesto theme at thinkbdw in colchester  ‘as conservatives we don’t think it’s one rule for us and one rule for them we want to give everyone the chance of owning their own home ‘so we extended right to buy thirty three thousand more people have become homeowners this way, and our conservative commitment for the next parliament is to keep on backing this scheme’ mr cameron also pledged to protect the green belt if the conservatives win the next election – saying he wanted his children to walk on unspoilt countryside such as the north downs building must take place on brownfield land as a priority, he said, but he acknowledged that building could not be restricted to such land he said britain is on target to build 200,000 homes a year by 2017 – bearing labour’s target by three years ‘when it comes to our green belt, i have been clear,’ he said ‘the line remains scored in the sand – that land is precious i am a country man i love our countryside ‘put simply: the green belt is protected with us and it is not just green belt that concerns people but green fields i agree’ the prime minister also said that a future conservative government will ‘keep mortgage rates low’ so that homeowners can ‘go to bed with real peace of mind’ pledging that maintaining low borrowing costs would be the first priority of the tories’ housing policy, he attributed the uk’s historically low interest rates of 05 per cent to his government’s deficit reduction programme he said labour’s plan to borrow for investment would result in higher borrowing costs for home owners ‘and do you know what that could cost people? just a one per cent rise in market rates would add £1,000 to the average mortgage bill ‘britain’s home owners cannot afford that so in the next parliament conservatives would see through our long term economic plan, clear the deficit, run a budget surplus by 2018, and help keep mortgage rates low’
david cameron tories
david cameron pledged to ‘keep backing’ right to buy policy  called critics hypocrites as they're usually homeowners themselves  pm's speech follow speculation that tories want to extend the policy 