Voters “sick of paying more and getting less from Conservatives” but have faith in Liberal Democrats to tackle the housing crisis.

In Polruan, where a staggering 52% of all properties have been converted into holiday accommodation, recently elected Liberal Democrat Councillor Jim Candy met someone with two jobs who was “sofa surfing” because they couldn’t find anywhere to rent. Jim says “It is immoral for rich people to own second homes which stand empty for most of the year while locals are beingmade homeless.”

FOUR Liberal Democrat policies to tackle this problem have finally been accepted by the Government after years of opposition. Loopholes in Small Business Rate Relief have been tightened up. Anyone wishing to convert a residential property into holiday accommodation will require planning permission, which Towns and Parishes will be able to refuse if there are already too many holiday properties in their area. Holiday rentals will have to register with the Council and prove that they have all the correct safety checks and permissions in place.

Second home owners will have to pay double council tax. But some Conservatives who oppose these changes are still fighting to delay their introduction and create loopholes.

We need to elect more Lib Dems to ensure every local person can find a decent home.