The mayor of London became the most high-profile Conservative to express fears about the housing benefit changes as cross-party concern about the effect of the changes on the poor grew.

Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg made clear their distaste at Johnson's decision to refer to social cleansing in relation to the government's policy.

Within hours of making the remarks, the mayor insisted he was quoted "out of context" and claimed that he did not agree with the "wild claims" of "social cleansing" made by critics of the housing benefit cuts.

But this morning, he had told BBC London: "What we will not see, and will not accept, is any kind of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London.

"On my watch, you are not going to see thousands of families evicted from the place where they have been living and have put down roots."

I'm not sure what to make of the whole thing.

I did have a thought though, I have moved several times in order to work in better jobs. I would expect if I lost a job or got a less well paid one then, equally, I would have to move elsewhere.

There is an alternative though, Government enforcement of rental prices of houses in which tennants receive Housing Benefit.

Yes but this will be people losing their jobs because they cannot get a home in the area. Add in the cost of travelling then it could make the job unviable, so be forced to find jobs and a home in a new area.

All that will happen is that private landlords will block all claimants.

They have suggested payment direct to the landlord. That would be fine except councils operate housing benefit on a fortnightly basis but landlords want it monthly.

True, like I say I don't know what to make of the situation. Instinctively it feels wrong but then, thinking about it, if you move to an area because of work then, logically, an equal move because of the converse is, well, logical.

How the offices in London would get cleaned and services though I don't know, AFAIK the majority of housing benefit in London actually goes to people who are working but do not earn enough. I guess the problem is people who do the necessary jobs that no one else wishes to do don't get paid enough.

Make it illegal to discriminate if the payments go directly to the landlords.

They'd have to do checks, one huge house I lived in years ago seemed to have cheques arising for people I'd never heard of that the landlord took away.

Though if the government really wanted to cut the housing benefit bill they should stamp on house price bubbles

Yes but the claimant was the one getting charged with fraud, even if the landlord was the one getting the money.

That is very true. I heard on a news article the other day that a majority of the mortgages issued recently have all been for people buying to rent. It was the buy to rent overkill that kept prices artificially high before. Nothing is changing and in the meantime bankers are getting big bonuses, getting on the property market is a dream to many and rents are unaffordable.

I'm not entirely sure why the public/press are so willing to believe that by picking on the unemployed and disabled will solve the ills of the nation. It's like blaming a paper cut in your hand for your loss of blood when you've had the other arm cut off.

I'm not sure they ever existed TBH.

Somehow I don't see a Tory government doing much to stop property speculation or limit house price inflation. 'Free market' and all that