[Politics] Suggestions for what an incoming Labour government should do, once it has blagged its way in

[mikeyjh]

Presumably this would make many more houses available for renters to buy. Many renters cannot afford to do so currently, because so many homes are owned by private landlords. But of course, the housing shortage is blamed on immigrants.

I know of a landlord who rents-out 47 homes - to me, that is 47 fewer homes for people to buy, and also pushes up the price of homes which do become available to buy - if demand exceeds supply, the price goes up.

I don't understand the idea that if landlords don't exist then prices come down. Assuming that most of these renters that you speak of want to buy, then the demand remains the same. The problem is in the supply of housing,

 

[Peteinblack]

NHS needs a massive restructuring

Another one? The NHS - and the rest of the public sector - has had repeated restructuring over the last 33 years (since the 'internal market' was introduced). There have been two main consequences.

1) Ever-increasing numbers and layers of accountants, business managers, 'change champions', corporate compliance officers, procurement officers, public relations officers, strategic coordinators, etc, who collectively consume a large chunk of pubic sector budgets, so that there is never enough money for front-line staff like nurses, police officers, teachers, etc. Reform, restructuring and modernisation of the NHS and other public services are routinely proposed or pursued by politicians who want to look and sound dynamic and radical, but the end result is invariably yet more layers of bureaucracy and stifling red-tape, and front-line professionals punch-drunk with endless change and political interference.

2) Due to 1), many public sector professionals are buried under administration - endless box-ticking, form-filling, report-writing, and preparing for the next intrusive, time-consuming, morale-sapping, external audit or inspection. The Police say that they turn a blind eye to some minor, victimless, crimes, because an arrest would mean 2-3 hours of paperwork.

If, by restructuring, you mean slashing the layers of management, and freeing-up front-line staff to actually do their jobs and serve the public, then by all means!

 

[amexer]

I know I go on about Germany a lot, but it's not all milk and honey here. I have posted about a developing crisis in the restaurant thread.

Germany is a great country and spend many weeks there with family and friends. Many of whom spend time in Uk when they can. A visit by us rarely goes by without someone saying how lucky we are to live in UK and big moans about there goverment. Little do they know.

 

[Peteinblack]

I don't understand the idea that if landlords don't exist then prices come down. Assuming that most of these renters that you speak of want to buy, then the demand remains the same. The problem is in the supply of housing,

A supply which is being seriously diminished by professional buy-to-let landlords, who are then pushing up the price of the few houses which become available to buy. Fewer landlords = more houses available to buy, and thus lower prices.

One of the reasons NIMBYS in Tory shires oppose house-building in their area is that they know that if there are more houses to buy, house prices overall will decline; 100 house buyers could each buy a house on an estate of 100 houses, rather than those 100 would-be buyers competing to buy just one house for sale, and pushing up the price, perhaps gazumping each other.

 

[AlbionBro]

I don't want to jump the gun, but surely we can not fail to get a massive majority this time. I hope they can lower the pension age back to 65 for all, and increase the state pension also.
I would like to see anyone on above 40k to pay a tax rate of 45%, above 130k pay 55% above 250k pay 60k.
I am no accountant but that should generate a penny or two.
When do we get to hear what their intentions are?

 

[macbeth]

public transport!! build trams, metros and monorails in every big city that doesn’t have them, namely leeds

 

[WATFORD zero]

If they want to implement any policies whatsoever, like any political party they will need money to fund them.

So the first thing they will need to do is to reverse the current direction of travel of the economy. I think that may take an awful lot of focus and effort before anything else

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I don't doubt the veracity of your story but it's a very simplified view of the reality. Many who have overstretched themselves in this manner have ended up on their arses because most of them are borrowing to do so and, maybe contrary to popular belief, a good landlord doesn't always make massive margins. There is always maintenance, there will be fallow periods and tenants who don't pay.

I (predictably) don't agree that people are being soaked because they can't afford to buy their own home. I doubt there's more than handful of people who haven't rented for a reasonable amount of time. Believe it or not, some people are comfortable renting, don't want to buy, should they not have that choice?



I think you've conflating housing with home ownership. The crisis in the former is critical, the latter less so.

No I don't. There are too many amateur landlords out there, people who see their tenants as a mechanism with which to pay off their mortgage - I hear them on phone ins etc, explaining that they have to put the rent up because they can't cover their mortgages due to interests rates - Tough titties, you take the risk of borrowing beyond what you can afford, you suffer the consequences. Tenants should be far better protected from such behaviour.

I don't have all the answers but there's a clear and obvious need for a rental market. Wales is far more progressive in this area, you have to be registered and licensed if you want to let the place yourself. One thing I would add would to the training in Wales and the UK is to explain to idiot landlords that putting the rent up all the time won't pay dividends. Good tenants and good landlords are a great match, at some point, you'll get a bad one and then you'll regret those increases!

Yes, my starting position was extreme and am happy to be persuaded to row back a bit.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

End child poverty in the UK. The fact that it is even a thing (or a debate) in our society is deplorable.

 

[heathgate]

Feeling proper healed after 13 years of fiscal probity and excellent governance are you?



Also, read the title of the thread. Is this really what you think labour should do?
Typical tory, taking the goalposts and re-erecting them in you own back garden.

Not a Tory.... slight flaw in your view there chap.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Knight João Pedro

 

[nicko31]

Rename Gatwick London De Zerbi