We’ve probably passed the point where we can take the Adam Smith Institute seriously
“Ice on the inside of the windows, bugs climbing the walls, no carpets, a family of six living in two rooms, a toilet to share with the whole street.”
Sounds like the home of the future, right?
Or is it my grandmother talking about her childhood in British slums in the 1930s? Thankfully, her family were moved to a smart council estate when the government decided to improve conditions for British people – but if the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) gets its way, that’s where our kids could be headed.
The think tank published an article on its blog calling for a return of slums in the UK, saying the housing market is “crying out for” slums.
We try not to take too strong an editorial stance on reports from think tanks – however, it’s obvious that the ASI has totally lost the plot – or at least doesn’t know anyone who has ever even been near a slum.
No matter where you go in the world, this type of accommodation is a last resort for desperate people who cannot afford to live anywhere else. EVERYONE knows that.
The essay, which won an ASI award, says: “Some people might not feel like they need a bedroom space as large as the state expects, while others might not mind sharing a bathroom with another family if it means lower rents.”
I assume the writer will be the first volunteer to live in the slums if they’re ever built?
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