Labour has called for a Conservative council leader to be sacked from the board of the Government’s housing agency over his "entirely inappropriate" comments about homeless people.
Simon Dudley, leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, triggered an angry backlash after demanding police remove homeless people from the streets of Windsor ahead of the royal wedding, which will take place at Windsor Castle in May.
The council area includes Theresa May’s Maidenhead constituency. Ms May has condemned Mr Dudley’s comments.
In addition to his role as council leader, Mr Dudley is also paid to sit on the board of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which plays a leading role in the Government’s efforts to tackle homelessness.
The agency manages overall investment in housing and is responsible for distributing the £25m Homelessness Change fund, which helps provide accommodation, healthcare and training for homeless people with a view to “transforming their lives”.
When he was appointed to the HCA board last year, Mr Dudley said he would be paid up to £20,000 a year for the job.
The council leader’s comments on homelessness were widely criticised earlier this week after he wrote to Thames Valley Police to complain about homelessness and ask officers to use legal powers against rough sleepers.
In the letter, which was also sent to Ms May, Mr Dudley wrote: “A large number of adults that are begging in Windsor are not in fact homeless, and if they are homeless they are choosing to reject all support services to beg on the streets of Windsor. In the case of homelessness amongst this group, it is therefore a voluntary choice.”
He added: “This is creating a concerning and hostile atmosphere for our residents and the seven million tourists who come to Windsor each year.
“It is becoming increasingly concerning to see the quantities of bags and detritus that those begging are accumulating and leaving on our pavements, at times unattended, thus presenting a security risk.
Mr Dudley also said: “Homelessness is completely unacceptable in a caring, compassionate community such as ours. We are working to create the necessary housing for our residents,”
John Healey, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, said Mr Dudley’s comments were “entirely inappropriate” for an HCA board member.
He told The Independent: “The comments made by Councillor Simon Dudley are entirely inappropriate for a board member of the Homes and Communities Agency, as a public body with responsibility for homelessness.
“The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, should remove Simon Dudley from this position and replace him with someone who is prepared to help tackle the scandal of rising rough sleeping.”
It comes after Ms May was forced to admit she “did not agree” with the views for her local council leader.
She said: “I think it is important that councils work hard to ensure that they are providing accommodation for those people who are homeless.
“Where there are issues of people who are aggressively begging on the streets then it’s important that councils work with the police to deal with that aggressive begging.”
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesperson declined to comment on Mr Dudley’s role on the HCA board and referred The Independent to Ms May’s earlier comments.
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