Improve the country in a year...

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

This saving is nothing in comparison to the money that people would continue to lose in pay and conditions without someone to stand up to government and corporate pay masters.

Unions do cause problems but i think they are necessary to bring a modicum of balance to wages and conditions negotiations.

Quite. Balance. That's it.

I hate to sound patronizing, but you have to have a bit of historical perspective, which probably means being a bit older. It is certainly the case these days that most of the time folk get sacked only for the reasons the correspondent-but-one stated (discipline or economic necessity). But unions were not formed to protect folk from being rightfully sacked. And the fact that sacking these days is (by and large) only rightful is entirely due to unions. In the past you could be sacked for anything from making a career space for the bosses nephew, to complaining when the boss touched you up. Pensions? Holiday pay? Maternity leave? And it was perfectly easy for a boss to not employ you if you were (or sounded like you might be) Irish, black, female, a 'poof' (obviously) - or a union member. And even for those safely in a job, there was nothing to stop a boss making the hours too long for safety, or maintaining and making safe equipment (getting maimed or killed at work was commonplace) . . . . it is all very well being hard nosed and saying all this is fixed now so there is no role for unions any more, but that's like saying the mice are gone from the farm, let's sell the cat.

The fact that unions went mad, and some formed their own silly 'socialist labour' party (in fact my union rep is an SWP activists - the fool), started to mouth off about stuff that didn't concern them (nuclear weapons, international solidarity) and allowed secondary action to be the norm, is just what happens when the opposition are weak.

Political engagement is war by any other means. If you are 'on the side' of 'the bosses' don't expect 'the workers' to agree that the best thing is to give up their representation. Doh!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

But if people can't afford to buy a home or have bad credit etc!!! They need to rent..

How are these properties going to get to them turning them into council homes?
Buy to let mortages and rental profits/taxed, goes into the economy and that's what this thread is about...

Or indeed the growing number of people that WANT to rent. The anti-BTL idea just sounds like jealously to me.

 

[Commander]

Or indeed the growing number of people that WANT to rent. The anti-BTL idea just sounds like jealously to me.

That's because it is.

 

[Butch Willykins]

Or indeed the growing number of people that WANT to rent. The anti-BTL idea just sounds like jealously to me.

I'm not jealous of BTL landlords in the slightest. Why would I be? I just think the BTL model is wrong.

Members of my family are landlords but they own their rental properties outright. BTL is effectively sub-letting a property from the bank. I just think that's wrong, but seeing as most MP's are knee deep in BTL, (as well as a growing percentage of voters) it's not going to go away. I won't lose any sleep over it as it doesn't really effect me.

I think the real *******s in the Rental market are the letting agents who charge ridiculous fees for essentially nothing.

 

[northernseagull]

Burn down Croydon, finish what the pikeys started.

 

[kingcole]

I'm not jealous of BTL landlords in the slightest. Why would I be? I just think the BTL model is wrong.

Members of my family are landlords but they own their rental properties outright. BTL is effectively sub-letting a property from the bank. I just think that's wrong, but seeing as most MP's are knee deep in BTL, (as well as a growing percentage of voters) it's not going to go away. I won't lose any sleep over it as it doesn't really effect me.

I think the real *******s in the Rental market are the letting agents who charge ridiculous fees for essentially nothing.

The rental prices are too high due to the crazy high amounts of housing benefit that are paid. As per my previous post; why can someone who is on benefits be housed in the best part of time, whilst a family where both parents work 40 hours a week, strive, but invariably fail to live in such an area.

BTL landlords who have mortagages often have to find larger deposits, pay higher arrangement fees and pay a higher interest rate than those on a traditional mortgage.

When you consider than in flats, the BTL landlord will also pay ground rent and maintenance fees, it really is not a walk in the park. They are gambling on the market rising as the yield from rent is poorer than many established FTSE 100 companies will pay in dividends.

BTL is not for me. It's chosen by those who think property rules and always will.

 

[Commander]

I think the real *******s in the Rental market are the letting agents who charge ridiculous fees for essentially nothing.

I never understand it when people say this kind of stuff. Nobody is forced to use a letting agent. If they do essentially nothing, then why use them? You can do the essentially nothing stuff yourself. Or could it be actually that they do do something, hence the reason why everyone uses them?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I never understand it when people say this kind of stuff. Nobody is forced to use a letting agent. If they do essentially nothing, then why use them? You can do the essentially nothing stuff yourself. Or could it be actually that they do do something, hence the reason why everyone uses them?

As a landlord I agree - no landlord is forced to use a letting agent - I purposely don't as they do very little for a lot of money. If as a tenant you want the full market of rental properties available to you then you're kind of forced to use a letting agency if the landlord of the property you want does. It's a complete rip off that the agency then charges the TENANT for the privilege of renting a property AND the landlord. If the landlord wants to use an agent fine, but it should be the landlord that picks up the entire cost.

 

[hybrid_x]

anyone has the right to try and sell whatever he or she wants (e.g BTL etc)......the crux is what you have bought into - what you have given your energy towards....... moan at others buying into something toxic, not the person offering something toxic.

 

[Hillian1]

Find some way of quantifying how many "cash jobs" Self Employed people undertake, then charge them double in tax what it would have been had they declared it.

 

[Butch Willykins]

As a landlord I agree - no landlord is forced to use a letting agent - I purposely don't as they do very little for a lot of money. If as a tenant you want the full market of rental properties available to you then you're kind of forced to use a letting agency if the landlord of the property you want does. It's a complete rip off that the agency then charges the TENANT for the privilege of renting a property AND the landlord. If the landlord wants to use an agent fine, but it should be the landlord that picks up the entire cost.

I agree. The landlord employs the agent, not the tenant. When you buy a house the seller pays the agent. When you get a job through an agency the employer pays.

Some letting agents are OK, but I've heard stories of £150 for renewing a contract and £200 for a credit check. I suppose they need to pay for their ill fitting shiny suits and shite cars somehow.

 

[glasfryn]

I am 67yrs old and can remember the "Good old days". I was born and raised in Storrington in the other half of Sussex. When I was growing up all adults were like surrogate parents so you could be told off by a complete stranger, teachers ruled the classroom with a rod of iron and an on edge ruler across your knuckles if you were naughty.There was corporal punishment and before the tree huggers kick off I received 3 off the best and yes it hurt but not as much as my Mum's smack across my bum.it hasn't scarred me for life, I went on to have a successful career in the Royal Air Force and then a long and happy career in motorsport. I was also a school governor and captain of my golf club. There was capital punishment as well and with modern forensic science it is unlikely an innocent person would dangle at the end of a rope. Girls who became pregnant outside wedlock were shunted off to a distant relative to avoid the shame,so there was no meal ticket for life like today. There was freedom of speech you could say what you like without upsetting ethnic minorities because there weren't any.The Police were feared and respected, you turned up at your doctor's surgery and joined the queue not book an appointment and hope you don't die in the meantime. Council houses outnumbered private houses. So lets turn back time and sort out Britains ill's.

perfect sense

You talk a lot of sense Sir, which is why the pampered mob on here disparage you. This country needs a swing to the right and discipline instilling in its youth.
It's noticable how many on here would blithely scrap Trident but be the first to moan when a defenceless Britain was attacked. Nothing is more important than defence spending which should be increased. That a Conservative led government has reduced defence spending by so much is a disgrace.
Stop paying people for overbreeding!

don't think he mentions right swings or the tories
although when were younger the tories were fairly caring

 

[e77]

Introduce professional standards to the recruitment industry where recruitment agents are registered and are industry qualified.

Social security insurance. If you have been paying national insurance all your working life, you get the equivalent of a student loan for up to six months covering up to 50% your earnings which is paid back when you return to work (Labour might be putting this in their 2015 manifesto).

Make it a specific offence to assault a public servant in the course of doing their duty.

Restrict the travel industry raising prices in the school holiday.

Make it easier to evict disruptive neighbours and move them to a controlled naughty area in each town or city.

Start to help specific areas of society impacted by immigration (e.g. builders).

Improve trade with the BRICK countries.

EU in/out vote and independence votes for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to determine once and for all the future of the UK.

 

[beorhthelm]

Restrict the travel industry raising prices in the school holiday.

you only control this country. not the whole of Europe, who also go on holiday at the same time.

 

[Tight shorts]

Diversify compulsory education so more kids can develop their individual talents rather than expecting everyone to learn the same, with the aim of having less kids leaving school feeling a failure. Education on relationships should be included.

More apprenticeships combined with college/training and less college only courses - encouraged by tax breaks for employers

More focus on creating/developing communities/volunteering so less people of a variety of ages sit at home depressed/bored/feeling isolated and less cost on public services. A one stop volunteering service/website to help facilitate developing communities and volunteering

Continued focus on tax evasion/avoidance and remove "charitable status" from public schools

Tax breaks for employers who offer term time only contracts to encourage more parents in to the workplace

Tighter rules/more emphasis on removing the corrupt scum politicians turned lobbyists who use power for their own gain

Completely free schooling for all children including uniforms, lunches, school trips etc, to level the playing field and address disadvantage

Loads more but that's for starters

 

[spring hall convert]

First start is to teach children RESPECT....respect to teachers and which must ultimately start with the parents...no mobile phones in class...you're there to learn not sit there texting.
Bring back Apprenticeships...firms that take on apprentices get tax breaks.
For those who are not working or don't wish to work....earn your dole money by National Service....not a military service but a community service helping out keeping our streets clean...parks and gardens...this way they learn to respect their countryside and not vandalise it.
Limit immigration to those who can support themselves....have a job and no benefits until they have been here one year,it's very noble to say Yes,let them all come...but others are saying build more houses...concrete over our countryside.....more immigrants....more houses,more traffic,more on our hard pressed NHS,more fuel used.
Tax foreign lorries...we have to pay to use the roads on the continent....why should they get it free here.
Banks...lend more money to small firms...get them manufacturing and employing more people.
Stop being the 'Worlds Policeman'...we cannot afford it!
Foreign Aid...Instead of giving tinpot dictators money to line their accounts...send out British workers to build their schools and hospitals...that way we keep our workers in employment,they get their new buildings and the money does not reach the corrupt.
Why do we give Aid to Russia,China,India....all countries that can afford to indulge in the space race...
Do not nationalise any big company...competition makes people work...nationalisation gives the lazy and the unions power....disaster...we've tried nationalisation and it does not work.
Leave the banks alone...(apart from them lending to small businesses) they are one of our biggest earners,yes there bonuses should be limited but why do you think Europe wants to get there hands on the City...it earns billions.
And lastly if you rebuilt this country the one thing you must NOT do is to relinquish our defences....we almost came unstuck before in the two world wars....We give up Trident and we are at the mercy of rogue states....Iran,North Korea...yes it's costly....but better than being blasted by a nuclear strike. Leave the ECHR and draft a new British bill of rights.Why should some lawyer who has never been a Judge,who from hails Albania be able to sit in judgement on this countries laws....did any of you vote for him....Europe itself is corrupt...it has never ratified their accounts...why....fraud...the whole structure needs redrafting.Freedom is self determination.
I agree with Brian Parsons,discipline is a great teacher.
Now await replies from the left ,tree huggers

I wouldn't worry about the tree huggers fella, they'd have to have the patience to read it. What's wrong with a little punctuation or is that too "bleeding heart liberal" for you?

 

[spring hall convert]

Unions

This will be contentious on here. Ban them. Full stop, end of.

People are dismissed from work for one of 4 reasons:-

A) They are shit at their job
B) They have broken a rule / law
C) The company can no longer afford to employ them
D) The company is moving away.

No matter what a union might think they can do, it can't change one of these scenarios. A company doing well will never get rid of someone who does their job well and who does not break the rules / law.

Not sure what union fees are nowadays, but say it averages £10 per week over ones working life. If that was all put into a pension, I would guesstimate a pension pot of about £150k at retirement, just from their subs savings alone.

Union's don't just deal with people being sacked. What about collective bargaining, health and safety etc?? I appreciate that Thatcher successfully made Trade Union a dirty word but without them British workers would be working in more dangerous conditions for less money. I include much of the private sector in this where historical union influence would have benefitted the workers.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Or indeed the growing number of people that WANT to rent. The anti-BTL idea just sounds like jealously to me.

Personally I think the private rental market needs to swing back in favour of tenants. At the moment it is very heavily skewed in favour of landlords. And there also needs to be a heap of social housing as well. BTL has played a part in all of this.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

I wouldn't worry about the tree huggers fella, they'd have to have the patience to read it. What's wrong with a little punctuation or is that too "bleeding heart liberal" for you?

Hey fella,if punctuation is all you have to worry about then your life is one of bliss....but yes....it is too 'bleeding heart liberal' for me...nobody asked you to read it....it's your choice..

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

BTL landlords who have mortagages often have to find larger deposits, pay higher arrangement fees and pay a higher interest rate than those on a traditional mortgage..

You're not going to win anyone over with this I'm afraid.