THOUSANDS of Scots have been languishing on council house waiting lists since the height of the Blair government, official figures revealed yesterday.

SNP ministers were called to account over flatlining affordable housing numbers after local authorities confirmed that at least 170,351 people were still awaiting social housing.

Of those, 33,334 had been on a list for at least five years, with 13,021 having been on a list for a decade or more.

Local government body Cosla said the root of the problem was high demand and low supply, adding it “fully supported” legislation passed last month which ended council tenants’ right to buy in Scotland.

But a representative said that only a significant increase in government spending on affordable housing would resolve the crisis.

Official statistics show that the number of completed new homes in the social housing sector has dropped to its lowest rate since 2008.

Just 4,408 new builds were completed last year.