St Mary’s University Academic Prof Philip Booth launches paper in Parliament proposing major reforms to address the housing crisis

St Mary’s University Professor of Finance, Public Policy and Ethics and Dean of Faculty for Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Philip Booth, has launched a paper on the housing crisis, published by the Catholic Social Action Network (CSAN) at an event in the Houses of Parliament.

As part of a series, ‘Perspectives on political, social and human aspects of the housing crisis’ Prof Booth launched a paper entitled ‘The scourge of housing costs – causes and solutions’ advocating relaxing the current restrictions on house building in the UK. Prof Booth noted within that paper that the effect of land-use planning controls cannot be, ‘accepted by any Christian within an interest in promoting human dignity and the common good in the economic sphere’ given their impact on poverty and inequality.

Speaking at the launch, on Wednesday 23rd January 2019 in Parliament, hosted by CSAN were: Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden; Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP for North East Somerset; Lord Shipley, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson; Sir Roger Scruton FBA, FRSL, writer and philosopher; and Gareth Wallace, Conservative Christian Fellowship.

Prof Philip Booth has previously worked as Academic and Research Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, a leading public policy think tank as well as for Cass Business School and the Bank of England. He has published and commented widely on Catholic social teaching, public policy, financial regulation and pensions.

This latest launch is supported by the University’s Benedict XVI Centre. This Centre is an international hub for research and engagement activities in the area of religion and the social sciences and founded upon the conviction that interdisciplinary research is central to the life of a Catholic university. The Benedict XVI Centre draws together existing strands of research on the St Mary’s campus, while fostering new projects in collaboration with external partners, both individual and institutional.

Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) is the social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The network includes around 40 Catholic charities and dioceses that work across England and Wales to build up community life and work with people living in all kinds of poverty and housing difficulties, people with disabilities, travellers, migrants, refugees, prisoners.