Knocking Down Walls

I am normally a great admirer of Frank Field - the Labour MP for Birkenhead - because he's a bit of a maverick and tends not to pull his punches over controversial issues. 

Frank is not afarid to lead the charge, when necessary, against his own side - as he did over Gordon Brown's disastrous decision as Labour Prime Minister - to abolish the 10p tax rate, for example.

But Frank seems to have lost his senses when it comes to the so-called bedroom tax - which will see changes in the benefits claimed by social housing tenants - depending on their needs and the size of their properties.

Because Frank has issued a clarion call - which is likely to be taken up by every loony group in the land - by telling his local newspaper:

“I hope landlords will brick up the doors to spare bedrooms and, where appropriate, knock down walls so that the properties can safely fit the tenants. I have never before asked for direct action."

Now this seems to be completely bonkers advice to me - because if someone needs an extra bedroom for some legitimate purpose - then how does it help their situation to turn this into a single room?

Where will the carer who needs to sleep over - put their bed?

Seems to me that this is tantamount to cutting off your nose - just to spite your face.

And if the extra bedroom really isn't needed at all - then why not find a room mate and generate a bit of extra income to recoup any financial loss due to benefit changes.

Which people do in many other countries across the world - without batting an eyelid of course.

Now that would be a much smarter thing to do than bricking up doors and knocking down walls - and it would help solve some of the housing shortage into the bargain.