From Property-Owning Democracy to Generation Rent? Analysing Theresa May’s Housing Rhetoric from the Perspective of the Discourse Historical Approach

Alice Tihelková,Veronika Quinn Novotná

doi:10.15452/ojoep.2021.13.0012

Abstract

Since the 1920s, British Conservatives pursued the concept of property‑owning democracy, with home ownership viewed as a guarantor of social stability and personal autonomy. However, recent increases in housing costs have made the “British Dream” of home‑ownership more elusive than ever, with renting becoming a lifelong prospect for large swathes of people. Using the Discourse Historical Approach, a method falling within Critical Discourse Analysis, the article analyzes the 2019 housing speech by Prime Minister Theresa May to ascertain whether the changing situation has been reflected in the Conservatives’ housing rhetoric, traditionally driven by a property‑owning ethos. Examining May’s argumentation and language use, it concludes that May’s proclaimed commitment to renewed council house construction represents both a long‑overdue acknowledgement of the housing affordability crisis and a pre‑election strategy to win Labour voters.

Highlights

The concept of property‐owning democracy has long represented a key policy of the Brit‐ ish Conservative Party and one of its vote‐winning strategies
As May was leaving office, the numbers of new social rented homes being built remained at a historic low – only 6,436 in a year, the second‐ lowest number on record, as compared to 300,000 council homes a year delivered by Harold Macmillan, the post‐war Conser‐ vative Prime Minister who is celebrated as a role model in May’s speech (Gimson, 2013)
Studied against the backdrop of earlier Conservative housing policies overwhelmingly centred on private home ownership, an inquiry made possible by involving historical con‐ text as part of the Discourse Historical Approach (DHA) approach, Theresa May’s 2019 housing speech reveals a distinct shift of focus involving her commitment to improving the situation of Britain’s renters

Summary

Introduction

The concept of property‐owning democracy has long represented a key policy of the Brit‐ ish Conservative Party and one of its vote‐winning strategies. May’s call for a higher structural and aesthetic standard of the new council homes suggests her rec‐ ognition of the fact that broader sections of society, low‐income groups, will prospectively be cut off from home ownership and dependent on rental housing.

Results

Conclusion