Same old Tories - completely out of touch

[GT49er]

I think right to buy was actually first proposed by Labour back in their 1959 manifesto.

And, if I remember the election results correctly, the electorate didn't go for it and Labour very sensibly kicked the idea into touch.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

As someone who works in social housing I agree with this completely. As part of my job, I do a little bit of voluntary work helping vulnerable residents with sorting out budgeting, giving them assistance when filling in forms and trying to ensure that they know their rights and responsibilities and all through the system, the people are scared. Would-be tenants desperate for the security of getting a housing association as a landlord as opposed to going private and paying over the odds for substandard accommodation, being exploited by managing agent and landlord alike.

And a lot of our existing tenants worried that there might be a change in the law that means that if they are deemed to earn too much then they will have to go private. We've already seen the bedroom tax rear its ugly head, it really isn't beyond the realms of possibility for some bright spark to suggest means-testing as a way of trying to fix this problem.

I say this as a dyed-in-the wool Tory, the right-to-buy a council house has been disastrous, shameful even and has cost us as taxpayers so much more than if it had never been allowed. Quite honestly, I think anyone who has exercised their right to buy should pay a specific surcharge on profit they made from selling the house and this money be ring-fenced for spending only on building or buying more social housing.

I know of a case where the house was bought back in the 80s & recently sold, but the 'profit' is being used to pay £600 a week for a small room in a care home.
If that money hadn't been made, the State would be paying that anyway.

 

[Butch Willykins]

From Theresa May's conference speech.

The opening paragraph:

81 days ago, I stood in front of Ten Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister, and I made a promise to the country.

I said that the Government I lead will be driven not by the interests of a privileged few, but by the interests of ordinary, working-class families. People who have a job, but don’t always have job security. People who can just about manage, but worry about the cost of living and getting their kids into a good school. And this week, we’re going to show the country that we mean business.

Insert almost half hour speech entirely about Brexit...Final paragraph:

So let’s have a great week here in Birmingham this conference. Let’s get this plan for Brexit right. Let’s show the country we mean business. And let’s keep working to make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone in this great country.


Woeful keynote speech, taking half hour to endlessly repeat what could have been said in 5 minutes flat before moving on to address other issues.

But the thing that tickles me is her little bit on "ordinary, working-class families." You know..."People who own their own home, but worry about paying the mortgage."

Er, Theresa, have you not noticed the millions of in work benefit recipients who currently have no chance of ever owning their own home, unless of course they're lucky enough to be in scarcely available Social Housing. You've help at hand for them of course, by embarking on another disastrous round of 'Right to Buy' to screw the next generation over even more than this current one who have been left out in the cold.

Have you not noticed the current Housing Benefit budget Theresa I think there might just be an Elephant in the room somewhere.



Same old Tories. No idea what reality is like for millions of working people.

Remember the...Keep a spare can of petrol in the garage in case the tanker drivers strike. Of course, we all have a garage, surely to God.

Or this absolute gem in the midst of, what was it?, 4 million unemployed?:




Or good old Norman Lamont. Just remember folks, it was a price well worth paying Gideon didn't agree though, apparently


Absolutely laughable.

Don't worry, she's giving another speech on Wednesday that you and your leftie pals can get your knickers in a twist over.

 

[beorhthelm]

Fair play to you for acknowledging that. One of the most destructive pieces of legislation this fair country has had to endure.

not really destructive at all, unless you have a different dictionary to me. the problem was never the right to buy, it was the secondary policy to restrain councils from building replacement properties, something that unfathomably wasnt altered by Brown. Councils are sitting on billions of cash while paying out for private sector rent.

now the Osborne new right to buy extension into housing association property, private housing built to address those earlier problems, that could be potentially destructive because it discourages any further development of the rental sector.

 

[Chicken Run]

As someone who works in social housing I agree with this completely. As part of my job, I do a little bit of voluntary work helping vulnerable residents with sorting out budgeting, giving them assistance when filling in forms and trying to ensure that they know their rights and responsibilities and all through the system, the people are scared. Would-be tenants desperate for the security of getting a housing association as a landlord as opposed to going private and paying over the odds for substandard accommodation, being exploited by managing agent and landlord alike.

And a lot of our existing tenants worried that there might be a change in the law that means that if they are deemed to earn too much then they will have to go private. We've already seen the bedroom tax rear its ugly head, it really isn't beyond the realms of possibility for some bright spark to suggest means-testing as a way of trying to fix this problem.

I say this as a dyed-in-the wool Tory, the right-to-buy a council house has been disastrous, shameful even and has cost us as taxpayers so much more than if it had never been allowed. Quite honestly, I think anyone who has exercised their right to buy should pay a specific surcharge on profit they made from selling the house and this money be ring-fenced for spending only on building or buying more social housing.

Agreed!

 

[wellquickwoody]

mmmm no.... something about owning a garage, as if its a given. I don't own a garage. And that was just a small part of the OP's point. You are nit picking, I think...

Possibly so, but plenty of people in social, rented or ex council homes also have access to a garage, whereas there others in the private sector do not. Maybe the OP is also looking for something to promote their own view?

 

[Kosh]

This thread beautifully illustrates what's wrong with politics in this 'democratic' world... Angry bile fuelled missives, followed by the counter argument(s)... round and round it goes... sigh.

Seriously, for me, this kind of bollocks has no place on NSC... I visit here to escape reality, not to be utterly overwhelmed by the raging river of 'real' fear herein. It's mostly hyperbole anyway, them and you. The suits change, yet the song remains pretty much the same, let's be honest.

Pathetic point scoring, and terribly boring with it... said without any irony I might add... heh heh.

Just stop shouting and politically sniping at each other, it's simply a very shit read.

 

[maltaseagull]

This thread beautifully illustrates what's wrong with politics in this 'democratic' world... Angry bile fuelled missives, followed by the counter argument(s)... round and round it goes... sigh.

Seriously, for me, this kind of bollocks has no place on NSC... I visit here to escape reality, not to be utterly overwhelmed by the raging river of 'real' fear herein. It's mostly hyperbole anyway, them and you. The suits change, yet the song remains pretty much the same, let's be honest.


Pathetic point scoring, and terribly boring with it... said without any irony I might add... heh heh.

Just stop shouting and politically sniping at each other, it's simply a very shit read.

Agree to a point but I do find it quite entertaining how worked up some people get. The vitriol is staggering when in reality I cannot think of a single government that has pleased the population.

I wonder if :
*MPs worked for free as they just want to serve.
*Everyone paid tax of 25% of income with no cheating.
* No waiting for ANYTHING at the doctors, dentists, hospitals.
* No Crime
*Free public transport that works.
* Minimum wage of £30K
Would keep everyone happy? Any ideas how this would work?

 

[Prince Monolulu]

This thread beautifully illustrates what's wrong with politics in this 'democratic' world... Angry bile fuelled missives, followed by the counter argument(s)... round and round it goes... sigh.

Seriously, for me, this kind of bollocks has no place on NSC... I visit here to escape reality, not to be utterly overwhelmed by the raging river of 'real' fear herein. It's mostly hyperbole anyway, them and you. The suits change, yet the song remains pretty much the same, let's be honest.

Pathetic point scoring, and terribly boring with it... said without any irony I might add... heh heh.

Just stop shouting and politically sniping at each other, it's simply a very shit read.

Surely, like any thread about football, music or central heating it is, as usual, down to people sharing their opinions. Similarly, if I am not interested in a music thread or a TV thread, I simply choose not to read it, even less so post on it.

 

[Perkino]

The problem is, and always has been, money. Young adults don't know how to handle it or use it responsibly. Many 18-25 year olds end up in debt, normally several thousands.

As a 28 year old teacher I earnt around £30k a year and I tried to purchase a property for £210,000. The highest mortgage I could find was for £155,000 so I needed a deposit of £55,000.

Very few individuals aged 28 have more than a few thousand of savings so getting the first house is near impossible.

My mortgage repayments are £681 a month compared to the £1,200 a month my friend pays for his rented home of similar size less than a mile away.

The rental market is crippling and even though this friend earns more than £40,000 pa he will never manage to save up a deposit in fact he is still working on paying off his debts. Until renting becomes significantly cheaper then the hard working members of society will remain poor

 

[alfredmizen]

As someone who works in social housing I agree with this completely. As part of my job, I do a little bit of voluntary work helping vulnerable residents with sorting out budgeting, giving them assistance when filling in forms and trying to ensure that they know their rights and responsibilities and all through the system, the people are scared. Would-be tenants desperate for the security of getting a housing association as a landlord as opposed to going private and paying over the odds for substandard accommodation, being exploited by managing agent and landlord alike.

And a lot of our existing tenants worried that there might be a change in the law that means that if they are deemed to earn too much then they will have to go private. We've already seen the bedroom tax rear its ugly head, it really isn't beyond the realms of possibility for some bright spark to suggest means-testing as a way of trying to fix this problem.

I say this as a dyed-in-the wool Tory, the right-to-buy a council house has been disastrous, shameful even and has cost us as taxpayers so much more than if it had never been allowed. Quite honestly, I think anyone who has exercised their right to buy should pay a specific surcharge on profit they made from selling the house and this money be ring-fenced for spending only on building or buying more social housing.

Spot on , right to buy was/is an absolutely disastrous policy .

 

[Kosh]

Surely, like any thread about football, music or central heating it is, as usual, down to people sharing their opinions. Similarly, if I am not interested in a music thread or a TV thread, I simply choose not to read it, even less so post on it.

Normally I'd agree with the above, but in the last 18 months of political intrigue, this 'football' forum has been utterly cluttered with the kind of political vitriol normally reserved flag/banner waving idiots on election night.

I'm sick of wading through this swamp of I'll feeling, it belongs in the other stuff for me - as it's certainly not 'music thread banter' is it? Nah - it's embarrassing really.

This will be my last post herein however, as this thread deserves to sink to be honest.

Enjoy the doubtless pointless arguments to come...

Heh heh.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

What do you propose? The government build houses and give them out for free? or alternatively give every one 60k a year regardless of their skill set?

 

[Ernest]

What do you propose? The government build houses and give them out for free? or alternatively give every one 60k a year regardless of their skill set?

Imagine how good that would be for the country , the building trade would flourish and so would the country as people spent the money they would have given to GREEDY landlords instead, a win win policy.

Let's hope Maggie May announces it today seeing as she is so in favour of the working man these days

 

[Wardy's twin]

Can someone tell me what an 'ordinary working class person is'? All the debates and especially new labour under Corbyn seem to use this term and I fail to see how it can be useful to the debate.The real argument surely is about establishing a minimum base level for all (equal education opportunity , affordable housing, free healthcare, minimum wages) which are sustainable. The last point is key you cannot just throw money at the problem if you don't have it. So along with this social commitment (equal education opportunity , affordable housing, free healthcare, minimum wages) must come individual commitment to society i.e. it is not free you pay into the pot and you take from the pot, so you contribute to society or your are not part of it and don't benefit from it. However too many people a) think there is a bottomless pit of money b) they are entitled to it without making a contribution.

 

[beorhthelm]

What do you propose? The government build houses and give them out for free? or alternatively give every one 60k a year regardless of their skill set?

dont have to be silly about it, the answer is simple: roll back planning regulations to free up land for development. cost of land and more the point cost of planning permission is simply too expensive. cost of acre of land ~5-6k, cost of land with planning is ~350k, that tells you there is a problem. also work out why we do not have large property residential rental businesses and address the reasons. there are billions of investment £ if you could create a sensible business model around rental, pension funds would love the returns for example, but something makes this unattractive.

 

[Superphil]

And, if I remember the election results correctly, the electorate didn't go for it and Labour very sensibly kicked the idea into touch.

Genuine question, in What way did the electorate 'not go for it' ? And how did that influence a government policy? They didn't have a referendum, didn't have a yougov poll or an online petition.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

Imagine how good that would be for the country , the building trade would flourish and so would the country as people spent the money they would have given to GREEDY landlords instead, a win win policy.

Let's hope Maggie May announces it today seeing as she is so in favour of the working man these days

What about all those that have worked hard and saved up a deposit to pay for their homes? Do they get their money back?

 

[wellquickwoody]

Imagine how good that would be for the country , the building trade would flourish and so would the country as people spent the money they would have given to GREEDY landlords instead, a win win policy.

Let's hope Maggie May announces it today seeing as she is so in favour of the working man these days

But who would pay the building trade................

 

[ROSM]

And, if I remember the election results correctly, the electorate didn't go for it and Labour very sensibly kicked the idea into touch.

It was also rejected by Wilson then callaghan in 74 and 77 before reappearing in 1979/80