Anger as Leicester council leaders accused of ‘shutting down’ housing safety ‘crisis’ debate

Leicester’s political leaders have been accused of “shutting down” a debate on “shocking” council housing “failures”. The comments from opposition councillors on Labour-run Leicester City Council follow a special meeting this week to discuss a “no confidence” motion in the authority’s housing department heads , including city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and deputy mayor for housing Elly Cutkelvin.

Liberal Democrat member Zuffar Haq put forward the motion, pointing to a number of alleged “failings” by the Labour-run authority’s leaders. These included a failed inspection by the Government's Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), the finding that a local family fleeing domestic abuse was left in unsuitable accommodation and “wasted opportunities” to deliver much-needed new social housing