Right to move?

The Conservatives have launched a new policy, arguing that social tenants should be given the right to move.  On the surface, this doesn't seem like a bad idea - if you want to move, ask your landlord to sell your house and buy you another one elsewhere.  But it isn't workable.  How is a landlord in Cheshire expected to reasonably manage a property in Essex?  What if you demand that your landlord sells your home, but no-one wants to buy it?  What about the people in Cheshire waiting for a social home who have just lost one more property from the potential housing stock?

Not just that - it isn't even necessary.  Social tenants already have the ability to move to another part of the country through the right to assign their tenancy - they can swap their tenancy with someone else, as long as they can find someone to swap with.  Landlords are able to refuse on very limited statutory grounds, and can also put conditions on the exchange, such as a clear rent account.  It's not a perfect system but it seems a bit more workable than the Conservative proposals