Conservative work and pensions spokesman Helen Whately has set out a party pledge to bar most foreign nationals from social housing, arguing that scarce, taxpayer-subsidised homes should go to British families first. Under the proposal, existing social housing tenancies held by foreign nationals would be ended, except for those with EU Settled Status, while all future tenancies would be restricted to UK nationals only, excluding EU citizens and others. The plan is framed as part of a wider Conservative drive to curb welfare spending and restore public confidence in the fairness of the system.

Whately's article, published around the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, cites figures showing nearly 230,000 social homes in England are currently let to foreign nationals, with almost half of London's social housing occupied by non-British citizens. More than 1.3 million households are on social housing waiting lists, and the party says freeing up these properties would let them go directly to British families, some of whom are in costly temporary or unaffordable private accommodation. The policy is presented alongside a broader Conservative commitment to end benefits for foreign nationals, which the party claims would save £7 billion a year.