[Politics] Sunak and his Spring statement.

[Leekbrookgull]

What's coming down the track? Although fuel prices are record high you wouldn't think so around here by the volume of traffic. Surely NIC has to be looked at?

 

[bhafc99]

Probably lots of schemes to drive house prices up, as that seems to be the main point of the UK economy now. As long as everyone can feel smug about the soaringly ludicrous value of their 3-bed semi, nothing else matters.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Probably lots of schemes to drive house prices up, as that seems to be the main point of the UK economy now. As long as everyone can feel smug about the soaringly ludicrous value of their 3-bed semi, nothing else matters.

I was once lectured by a left wing colleague at the time Mrs H and I were buying our first flat in 1989 that the UK were the only major country in Europe that went ‘big’ on home ownership, the others had far more rental schemes and were apparently happy with that. To be fair we only had 30 mins for lunch and by the time he’d finished we had to go back to work, so never got the chance to respond fully.

Every youngster in this country should have an opportunity to buy their own property so rather than pushing up house prices shouldn’t Mr Sunak be looking at ways to have a large government programme to create affordable starter housing for anyone who wants it?

 

[BBassic]

One of his solutions for soaring utility bills is to encourage people to spend thousands on solar panels and wind turbines?

Which won't help people who rent.

Or people who live in a flat. Owned or rented.

 

[KZNSeagull]

NIC threshold raised by £3000 to £12570.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I was once lectured by a left wing colleague at the time Mrs H and I were buying our first flat in 1989 that the UK were the only major country in Europe that went ‘big’ on home ownership, the others had far more rental schemes and were apparently happy with that. To be fair we only had 30 mins for lunch and by the time he’d finished we had to go back to work, so never got the chance to respond fully.

Every youngster in this country should have an opportunity to buy their own property so rather than pushing up house prices shouldn’t Mr Sunak be looking at ways to have a large government programme to create affordable starter housing for anyone who wants it?

Your left wing chum was correct. Unlike you to not get a word in edgeways

Your suggestion wrt the housing situation is just left wing nonsense. Housing falls within the free market infrastructure and is subject to the laws of supply and demand. If you build cheap houses (whether subsidised by the taxpayer or not) they will be bought by those who have the money available, and as an earner by those with spare investment cash. Unless of course you impose some sort of communistic means testing of aspirant buyers.

My view is that if you wish to see a bit more fairness and opportunity in the housing sector, then looking at how the rental sector works in Germany would be a good way to start. I get the feeling someone may have explained it to you once, but you weren't listening.

A huge irony, my son works in the legal side of property sales and yet his income makes it impossible for him to become a proper Englishman (as some see it) and get on the property ladder (without my cashing in my pension, which is an inevitability in the next couple of years).

It is going to take a bit more than Sunak's tinkering to turn us into the nation of rosy-cheeked home owners that Thatcher promised.

 

[nicko31]

Sunak says next year debt interest will be £83bn - "almost four times the amount we spent last year"

FFS that's huge

 

[Giraffe]

Sunak says next year debt interest will be £83bn - "almost four times the amount we spent last year"

FFS that's huge

Furlough was not cheap. Still staggering that a Tory government provided the level of support they did. I'd be surprised if even Corbyn had done what they did. Right thing for the economy and jobs but we will be paying for that for the next 30 years.

 

[nicko31]

Do her just say our debt is falling? That's a total lie...

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Sunak says next year debt interest will be £83bn - "almost four times the amount we spent last year"

FFS that's huge

But let's be clear, this is no way justifies levying any extra taxation on the oil companies making £14bn profits per quarter, the tech companies hollowing out our high streets or the oligarchs supporting Putin's war.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Sunak says next year debt interest will be £83bn - "almost four times the amount we spent last year"

FFS that's huge

Interest paid last month alone was 8.2 billion - 11% of all gov spending

 

[nicko31]

But let's be clear, this is no way justifies levying any extra taxation on the oil companies making £14bn profits per quarter, the tech companies hollowing out our high streets or the oligarchs supporting Putin's war.

Apparently these primary producers are struggling

 

[beorhthelm]

Every youngster in this country should have an opportunity to buy their own property so rather than pushing up house prices shouldn’t Mr Sunak be looking at ways to have a large government programme to create affordable starter housing for anyone who wants it?

Prescott tried a direct affordable home programme (rather than stupid hand-outs approach). homes for £60k build cost with gov providing land or something. problem was first the industry couldnt really do it so cheap (dubious, but thats what they said) and the resale value rose to the local market price. so someon fortunate enough to get in for 60-70k were selling 5 yrs later for 260k or whatever.

still it was in the right direction. basic problem is we need to build more, be it for ownership or rent. if every town and village had 10% housing added the housing shortage would disappear and be absorbed by infrastructure. but instead we have large developments placed on a few towns without adequate infrastructure, protecting everything and every development is objected to creting a multi-year planning process.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Furlough was not cheap. Still staggering that a Tory government provided the level of support they did. I'd be surprised if even Corbyn had done what they did. Right thing for the economy and jobs but we will be paying for that for the next 30 years.

Without wishing to upset anyone too much on here but it’s fair to say that if we’d had Corbyn, backed up by McDonnell and Abbott in the pandemic we would have had something approaching anarchy.

Thankfully Starmer is a much better option and I think he will not only be the next PM but a good one at that.

 

[Justice]

I was once lectured by a left wing colleague at the time Mrs H and I were buying our first flat in 1989 that the UK were the only major country in Europe that went ‘big’ on home ownership, the others had far more rental schemes and were apparently happy with that. To be fair we only had 30 mins for lunch and by the time he’d finished we had to go back to work, so never got the chance to respond fully.

Every youngster in this country should have an opportunity to buy their own property so rather than pushing up house prices shouldn’t Mr Sunak be looking at ways to have a large government programme to create affordable starter housing for anyone who wants it?

I’m not sure how it is possible to create cheaper starter homes in the south. With land plus building and materials costs soaring its mission impossible. North of London it’s possible but then they already have the option of affordable housing.

 

[Weststander]

The statement didn't do what I wanted for the poor.

But (and I await the nsc avalanche) boy I hate the diction and speaking style of Rachel Reeve. It grates, it's a wall of noise, no pauses, completely overriding the message.

Shirley, Starmer has better alternatives? Labour has had a wealth of charismatic orators in the last 25 years.

 

[Giraffe]

I’m not sure how it is possible to create cheaper starter homes in the south. With land plus building and materials costs soaring its mission impossible. North of London it’s possible but then they already have the option of affordable housing.

Agreed, which is why "levelling up" makes a lot of sense. I spend a lot of time in Midlands and North of England and I can tell you it's happening already. Houses are being built all over the place the the infrastructure in Northern cities is miles ahead of the South Coast. In time this will lead to some migration from the South East which will help. The South East will always be higher because of the proximity to London but I believe the gap will be closed. They should be calling time on house building in the South East now though.

 

[The Fits]

I’m not sure how it is possible to create cheaper starter homes in the south. With land plus building and materials costs soaring its mission impossible. North of London it’s possible but then they already have the option of affordable housing.

There’s not a huge amount of affordable housing anywhere. In Bristol, unless you’ve got a deposit of at least 50% there’s nothing and rentals are now second only to London. Admittedly we’re not strictly north of London, but I can’t see Herts, Cambs, Suffolk etc being much cheaper.

 

[beorhthelm]

The statement didn't do what I wanted for the poor.

But (and I await the nsc avalanche) boy I hate the diction and speaking style of Rachel Reeve. It grates, it's a wall of noise, no pauses, completely overriding the message.

Shirley, Starmer has better alternatives? Labour has had a wealth of charismatic orators in the last 25 years.

seems more interested in making soundbites, funny takes, than getting into details. which is a shame as she's quite well qualified from her background.

edit: the SNP lady is getting into those details much more.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I’m not sure how it is possible to create cheaper starter homes in the south. With land plus building and materials costs soaring its mission impossible. North of London it’s possible but then they already have the option of affordable housing.

But is it right that only 12% of the land mass in this country is developed?

Driving up the A24 and over by Crawley as well, there’s been huge amounts of building, just a shame the first time buyers weren’t put into the equation.