The sale of council houses to tenants has been practiced for many years, but was significantly increased by the 1980 Housing Act that was put through Parliament by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. This Act, and in general the sale of council houses, have had both costs and benefits, so to come to a conclusion on whether or not this was a good idea we have to analyse the changes made by the Housing Act of 1980 (and other, less significant Acts which followed it) to the way in which tenants bought their homes.…