Conservatives pledge to ban foreign nationals from social housing

The Conservatives have said they would end the provision of social housing for foreign nationals in England if they win power at the next election.

The party said ending new tenancies for all foreign nationals, as well as current tenancies for couples where neither person is a UK, Irish or EU citizen, would free up an estimated 228,144 homes for British families.

The Conservatives said Labour had "lost control of immigration" and British families had been left sitting on housing waiting lists as a result.

But Labour said the policy was an "unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, that does nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created".

In June, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he would make it a requirement for foreign national tenants to find private accommodation within three months or face possible deportation if his party won power.

Under the Tory proposals, ineligible tenants would be expected to move out of their homes within six months.

Any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their social home. This includes those with or without children.

Couples, where neither of them are UK or EU citizens, and they do not have EU settled status, will also lose their entitlement.