I thought that exaggeration was an acceptable rhetorical technique but yes, you are correct Labour have only run Lewisham for the last 44 years.

Incidentally, the solution I had in mind for the housing crisis was to introduce a tax on multiple home ownership which would increase incrementally over time.

It strikes me that the buy to let fashion has done that terrible thing of allowing people who have money already (and can therefore afford a deposit) to make more money by simply buying a property and then renting it out. Money going to money without any expenditure of blood, sweat or tears.

The tax would have to be incremental (perhaps starting at 1% of market value per year) to avoid destabilising the market and penalising those who have just entered the buy to let market.

The tax could start at a higher rate for non-doms. I don't believe anything of the talk that this will frighten them away from London. The bankers didn't up sticks and leave did they?

Over a period of five to ten years you could take a lot of demand out the market and so reduce the cost of housing.

If you had exemptions for bona fide housing associations that would allow them to continue their mainly good work.

No tax would be levied on a person's main home so as to allow and Englishman's home to remain his castle as and when he or she could actually afford to buy one.