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[Politics] Sir Keir Starmer’s route to Number 10
- Thread starter Rdodge30
- Start date
JackB247
Well-known member
Thought it was a good, if unspectacular speech, but let's face it, that's all it needs to be with the Government record over recent times.
As a young person who needs to get on the property ladder at some point, it was good to see the house building pledge.
As a young person who needs to get on the property ladder at some point, it was good to see the house building pledge.
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Fair assessment. You're never going to get a spectacular speech from Starmer. I think you're right to highlight the building pledge, which is the new policy area that has come out of this conference, and will certainly help in delivering growth -- which is their most ambitious mission and, up until this point, I thought it was a bit of a hostage to fortune. But the build combined with the clean energy mission does point towards substantial rises in two large sectors that will stoke the economy.
They've at least got the bare bones of a programme for government (or two) in that speech. They obviously need to flesh it out with a detailed policy framework, but that's what a manifesto is for. The 'bulldozing' through the planning 'blockers' will prove controversial though.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,399
i hope he comes through with delivery on homes and development. Starmer will have to move swiftly on changing planning early before the nimby lobby get in and change ministers minds.
sussex_guy2k2
Well-known member
- Jun 6, 2014
- 3,780
Depends how he set the business up, doesn’t it?
But no, without a very good accountant he’d have still paid a fair bit of tax in that bracket.
Colonel Mustard
Well-known member
- Jun 18, 2023
- 2,145
I hope I'm not a member of the Nimby lobby myself. But did he say where all the new homes would be built? And is this all normal private sector stuff -- Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon etc., or did he include government-funded social housing? Labour have been complaining about the lack of social housing for years so I hope this is included in the plan.
Just a word of warning: pretty much every government and opposition in my lifetime (about 12 general elections) has promised to build more houses. It never happens in the promied numbers.The issue is often infrastructure. It's not just new housing estates needed but roads and schools and shops and the need to supply gas and water that's been the obstacles. But here's hoping they have some new solutions to these problems.
Machiavelli
Well-known member
It was covered in the speech but not in much detail, ie specific mention of infrastructure alongside the new towns/house building. The figure of new houses was 1.5m which, presumably, means 300,000 a year in a parliament. Also mentioned was 'greyfield' -- ie, not greenfield -- sites, eg disused car parks, supermarkets, refuse sites, etc
Angela Rayner (who now runs the relevant department) was on Politics Live after the speech, and she was indicating that they'd already identified areas with the help of metro mayors. I'd be surprised if there aren't a series of blitz announcements on this in the early days if they have a majority.
Nor will field after field built on by the companies you mention bring the cost of homes down, the biggest challenge is affordable housing as part planning being circumnavigated by developers post planning!
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,399
these are just excuses to block "this development", often included in larger developments. he does mention roads and infrastucture, they will be built too once the planning is overhauled. i'd assume Labour will want more social and change the rules on councils building too. as you say, it's always promised but consecutive governments fail because they wont change planning to allow the investment to flow.
BBC’s Nick Eardley in conversation this morning was clear that Labour plan to water down what’s deemed Green Belt. Building 1.5m homes every 5 years CANNOT be achieved on the nimbies favourite cop out expression Brownfield sites.
Green Belt in planning acts, post 1918?, was literally defined as the loops of countryside around major conurbations.
Manipulated since by vote chasing local and national politicians as carte blanche to block or delay schemes for epochs.
People have got to live somewhere, our population increased by an unprecedented 9.5m since 1997. Labour owe this to homeless millions.
It’ll be interesting to see what Labour voters say where plans to expand their towns onto fields transpire.
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I confess I missed this part of the speech
I’d have expected it of Boris, but not him…
I’d have expected it of Boris, but not him…
KZNSeagull
Well-known member
He was from People Demand Democracy so, no not likely.
Okay, you're probably right then!
- Jul 10, 2003
- 26,083
I agree with your post and if people don't like it, there's always the alternative of another 5 years of Johnson's deputy
And if @Is it PotG? shuts his eyes really really tight, says I wish 3 times and
he may even be able to get Johnson back
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Yep. We have four new estates going up around Faversham, and more planning propose. It is all commercial building, with big houses crammed onto small plots, no new local services, no new main roads, all traffic funnelling into existing roads. There was no 'planning' involved. The latest wheeze is to build on the marsh, with sewage funneled into 'existing structures'. It is all bollocks.
Labour will need to tackle the nimbies (with laws - look at how the Chinese do it and subtract the killing), and tackle the local authorities so that housing 'estates' are more than rabbit hutches.
Just saying, it was John Prescott who dramatically increased the number of new houses per hectare, giving the postage stamp back ‘gardens’. At the time (mid 00’s) I thought it awful move. Knowing that gardens and some space are amazing for wellbeing. The Pandemic was the game changer that made most people cotton onto that.
I realise that addressing means more land is required.
And yes, schools, GP’s surgeries, roads should all be strategically planned. The top down art of town planning … seemingly abandoned in the UK for decades. Instead churlish scuffling between nimbies, councils and developers.
- Jul 10, 2003
- 26,083
The biggest problem with housebuilding is still the London black hole dragging in everything for miles. Moving the BBC to Manchester was a good move, but building a new Parliamentary building in Preston would be far better and open the Palace of Westminster as a museum. That would create some proper 'levelling up'. Until we move some seriously major functions out of London the problem will remain the same.
There's only one relatively small area of the country that is short of land
There's only one relatively small area of the country that is short of land
The biggest problem with housebuilding is still the London black hole dragging in everything for miles. Moving the BBC to Manchester was a good move, but building a new Parliamentary building in Preston would be far better. Until we move some seriously major functions out of London the problem will remain the same.
There's only one relatively small area of the country that is short of land
Social engineering such as much of HMRC moved to Shipley and Cumbernauld, GIRO to Merseyside, DVLC as was to Swansea.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,485
Labour faces multi-million pound bill in ex-Jeremy Corbyn staff court case
A long-running internal party feud is putting an increasing strain on Labour's election finances.www.bbc.co.uk
Stormy weather approaching ?
I doubt it. Labour are so near power now and have got the ear of business their bank balance is going to look rather more healthy than it was under Corbyn.