Brake Asks Brown Sutton's £10 Million Question

2.34.49pm GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

In Prime Minister's Questions yesterday Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown the question Sutton's tenants have been desperate to ask the PM, 'why is £10 million of our rent being used to do up Council properties in other parts of the country'.

This issue has already compelled a group of angry Sutton residents led by Tom Brake MP, and Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam, to march on Number 10 Downing Street last week to deliver their petition against this cash grab.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister failed completely to address the question in his response, talking instead about general improvements in home ownership and housing investment, without referring to Sutton's situation once.

Tom Brake commented later, "Not only did he evade the 10 million pound question, but also the request to meet tenants. The PM should know Sutton's tenants will not let the matter rest. We will be back in spite of this snub."

Perseverance paid off in the end, this was Tom's seventh attempt to ask the PM this question.