• Disrupting Power Since 2015
  • Donate
  • Login
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Canary
MEDIA THAT DISRUPTS
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
SUPPORT
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Canary
No Result
View All Result

Gove’s plan to have qualifications for social housing managers spits in the face of residents

Maryam Jameela by Maryam Jameela
2 March 2023
in Trending, UK
Reading Time: 3 mins read
170 2
A A
0
Home Trending
320
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Michael Gove has announced that social housing managers will have to study for qualifications. This comes after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak due to the mould in his flat. Gove said:

The Grenfell Tower tragedy and, more recently, the death of Awaab Ishak showed the devastating consequences of residents inexcusably being let down by poor performing landlords who consistently failed to listen to them.

We know that many social housing residents are not receiving the service or respect they deserve.

Gove, apparently, is labouring under the delusion that landlords and social housing managers just need to be trained not to kill Black and brown people in their properties.

Obvious problems

Several people took to social media to explain the obvious problems with Gove’s ridiculous suggestion. Journalist Lorraine King pointed out the danger of such qualifications, as well as the shocking conditions Awaab died in:

If you're wondering how Awaab Ishak died it was because his family lived in a disgusting social housing home riddled with damp and mould.
His family's pleas for help fell on deaf ears and the two-year-old died from a respiratory condition caused by the mould. May he RIP 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/Y1WfePWKQl

— Lorraine King (@lorrainemking) February 26, 2023

Unison convenor John Gray said the proposed reforms will do little to fix bad housing:

https://t.co/ocgJovHgvh
Social housing managers will require qualifications in bid to 'drive up standards' after Awaab Ishak's tragic death.

But this will do nothing to provide new homes, fix existing stock nor make big landlords accountable to residents ⁦@UnisonHAB⁩ pic.twitter.com/WCjJtrTGrD

— John Gray (@grayee) February 26, 2023

MP Diane Abbott blamed government underfunding:

The problems in social housing have nothing to do with the workers needing more qualifications, everything to do with government underfunding. https://t.co/qWT1urkGko

— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) February 26, 2023

You might also wonder what else the genius Gove is up to. Well, he’s suggested that parents whose children don’t attend school could have their benefits cut:

I didn't trust myself to post this before in case my tweet was covered in speckles of blood caused by my rage on reading it.https://t.co/DIH6ZW0E5P

— Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 (@MichaelRosenYes) March 1, 2023

That’s hardly the suggestion of a man sensitive to the outrageous living conditions in social housing. He’s certainly not shown anything to suggest that he might have a compassionate and reasonable outlook on struggling residents and parents. However, let’s lay it out for him anyway.

Trail of malicious incompetence

The deadly incompetence that caused Awaab’s death was followed by more bullshit. A post-mortem examination found fungus in the two-year-old’s blood and lungs. A property inspection two days after Awaab’s death found it unfit for human habitation. In spite of this, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) – which was responsible for Awaab’s family home – refused to rehouse his family. RBH were accused of racism towards the family both before and after his death.

Gove brought up the Grenfell fire as another reason that legislation around social housing needs to be changed. Indeed, at the time of Awaab’s death Grenfell United offered their condolences and urged change:

Another life lost due to complete disregard for resident safety. Our thoughts are with Awaab’s family at this difficult time. Things must change 🙏 https://t.co/rqQ8Bs7H8K

— Grenfell United (@GrenfellUnited) November 15, 2022

Gove himself was forced to apologise for the lack of action in the aftermath of Grenfell:

Again, I want to apologise to the bereaved, to relatives and survivors for the fact that the Government over the last five years has sometimes been too slow in acting… sometimes we have behaved in a way which has been insensitive.

Gove’s suggestion that social housing managers have to undergo training spits in the face of campaigners who’ve long had to reckon with sub-standard housing and an indifferent government. How will training change the fact that most social housing isn’t fit to live in? How will training change extensive government underfunding? Does Gove intend to train landlords to consider Black and brown people to be humans who have a right to life?

If anything can be learned from the inaction after Grenfell, it’s that this government doesn’t care about people like Awaab. It won’t fund the housing sector properly. It’s not interested in providing mould-free and safe housing. The government just wants to help landlords make a quick buck. If a few hundred people burn to death, or a toddler dies with fungus in his lungs, so what?

Featured image by Unsplash/Ben Allan

Share128Tweet80
Previous Post

Matt Hancock’s stunning record of competency continues

Next Post

People with ME are dying while politicians do nothing and the NHS stands idly by. Enough.

Next Post
#DontLetMEDie EMERGENCY PROTEST: ME/CFS DEATHS AND CARE UNDER THE NHS. WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH, 12:30PM OLD PALACE YARD (OPPOSITE PARLIAMENT) LONDON SW1P 3JY DELIVERING THREE DEMANDS TO PARLIAMENT & THE DHSC CAN YOU MAKE IT? CAN SOMEONE BE THERE FOR YOU? IF NOT, SEND US YOUR PHOTO AND WE'LL SHOW YOU ON THE LIVESTREAM. EMAIL IT TO US: hello@thechroniccollaboration.com

People with ME are dying while politicians do nothing and the NHS stands idly by. Enough.

An adoption order The industry in the UK is marred by racism ableism and classism

Systemic racism and ableism pervades the misogynistic UK adoption industry

Matt Hancock, Hospital visit

Covid contracts and cronyism: Matt Hancock's texts make for tough reading

Abortion rights protestors hold up a sign saying "Forward Together - Abortion Justice"

Vital abortion pill could be banned across the US

Japanese aid deliveries to Syria after the earthquake

Millions of Syrian children face even worse hardship after the earthquake

Please login to join discussion
Tony Blair climate denial
News

Activists have just dragged Tony Blair over his rampant climate denialism

by The Canary
13 May 2025
A petition calling for the end to the badger cull just passed 100,000 signatures so will be heading for parliamentary debate
News

The badger cull is set for a parliamentary debate – all thanks to a viral petition

by The Canary
13 May 2025
Israel kills journalist Hassan Eslaih in Gaza hospital strike
Analysis

Israel kills journalist in Gaza hospital bombing, and its media debates whether that’s OK

by Ed Sykes
13 May 2025
Starmer Farage
Analysis

Keir Starmer may as well roll out the red carpet to Nigel Farage at this point

by James Wright
13 May 2025
Newham Council
Long Reads

Labour-led council left a disabled person in temporary accommodation with no wheelchair access for two years

by Hannah Sharland
13 May 2025
  • Contact
  • About & FAQ
  • Get our Daily News Email
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

The Canary
PO Box 71199
LONDON
SE20 9EX

Canary Media Ltd – registered in England. Company registration number 09788095.

For guest posting, contact [email protected]

For other enquiries, contact: [email protected]

The Canary is owned and run by independent journalists and volunteers, NOT offshore billionaires.

You can write for us, or support us by making a regular or one-off donation.

© Canary Media Ltd 2024, all rights reserved | Website by Monster | Hosted by Krystal | Privacy Settings

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion

© 2023 Canary - Worker's co-op.

Before you go, have you seen...?

Tony Blair climate denial
News
The Canary

Activists have just dragged Tony Blair over his rampant climate denialism

A petition calling for the end to the badger cull just passed 100,000 signatures so will be heading for parliamentary debate
News
The Canary

The badger cull is set for a parliamentary debate – all thanks to a viral petition

Israel kills journalist Hassan Eslaih in Gaza hospital strike
Analysis
Ed Sykes

Israel kills journalist in Gaza hospital bombing, and its media debates whether that’s OK

Starmer Farage
Analysis
James Wright

Keir Starmer may as well roll out the red carpet to Nigel Farage at this point

ADVERTISEMENT
Tech
Nathan Spears

How Digital Addictions Are Formed in the Shadow of Large Platforms

Lifestyle
Nathan Spears

Recovery in the Sun: How the Canary Islands are Becoming a Wellness Tourism Hub

Lifestyle
Nathan Spears

Why More People Are Seeking Legal Advice When Separating