Anticipating Richard Blakeway's appearance tomorrow before the Assembly's planning and housing committee, I've stumbled over this Q&A he's done for BBC London. Try this:
Q: Looking back on it now, do you think the 'Right to Buy' policy, whereby people could buy their own flats from the council, was good or bad for Londoners?
A: Right to Buy gave hope to thousands of Londoners. There's an incredibly strong link between homeownership and better communities - it can kick-start lives and make households more financially secure.
It's an argument they ought to make more of, I think, though if repossession rates soar the bit about financial security might look a little daft. Other highlights? He loves the river and hates roadworks. He reveals that his father was a jazz drummer who played frequently at Ronnie Scott's, which I found quite surprising. He also discloses that he relaxes with "rugby at Quins with a four pint pitcher," which I found, well, less so.
