One million Britons 'at risk of becoming homeless'

Lord John Bird, the founder of Britain's street newspaper The Big Issue, has stated that a million, if not more, people in the country are at risk of falling into poverty and becoming homeless because they are unable to pay their rent or mortgage.

"And that's clearly the most concerning thing I've seen since the early days of the Big Issue," he said on Times Radio.

When asked if he believed that the threat of homelessness for many families had grown worse than it had, Lord Bird responded, "Yes, I mean historically we haven't seen this situation and I don't want to sound like an old fart, but maybe living in Cambridge has made me think about history, but I think we have to look back to the Highland Clearances or even the Enclosures that drove thousands upon thousands of people into the cities.  Absolutely miserable.  There was nowhere to live and there were only mill jobs available. I don't believe there has ever been a time in history like this—perhaps at the close of the Napoleonic Wars—when people were left helpless to wander the streets.  Many people were forced to flee their homes after the First World War. Help was available after the Second World War, but not in our case. It is historical. And I believe that this government should get up and stop only making medium-term plans", said the Big Issue founder.

With information from AMPE