Dear oh dear...

[system 4-50]

Some ideas for the government (version 2):

1. Students must live at home.  No student accommodation is to be provided by Universities.  If going to a university in a different town then the student must arrange a parents swap.  The current student accommodation can then house a family instead of a part-time resident student.

2. Divorce is not to be allowed unless/until both parties have found a new partner.  This way no intermediate single housing is required.  Certain days of the year will be recognised as "swap" days.  Dating systems will be extended to include property details in addition to the normal vital statistics

3. Anyone over the age of 21 is required to cohabit.  Occupation of any abode by less than 2 people to be prohibited.  Note that this limit may be raised (in line with pensionable age).  The cohabitee may be of any (of the 23 available) sex.   An exception is to be made for narrowboats of less than 40ft where the minimum will be 1.5 people.

Edited February 5 by system 4-50
Edited to correct the crap that the forum software puts in when you cut&paste.

[IanD]

28 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

The term is 'current funded'

I know, but many people don't know what that means 🙂

 

And NI is still not really even that since it's not hypothecated, it's just another tax into the government coffers and pensions are just another expense out of them -- the government could increase or decrease either NI or pension rates if they chose, there's no real link between them.

 

5 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Some ideas for the government (version 2):

1. Students must live at home.  No student accommodation is to be provided by Universities.  If going to a university in a different town then the student must arrange a parents swap.  The current student accommodation can then house a family instead of a part-time resident student.

2. Divorce is not to be allowed unless/until both parties have found a new partner.  This way no intermediate single housing is required.  Certain days of the year will be recognised as "swap" days.  Dating systems will be extended to include property details in addition to the normal vital statistics

3. Anyone over the age of 21 is required to cohabit.  Occupation of any abode by less than 2 people to be prohibited.  Note that this limit may be raised (in line with pensionable age).  The cohabitee may be of any (of the 23 available) sex.   An exception is to be made for narrowboats of less than 40ft where the minimum will be 1.5 people.

 

What's half a person -- a heartless brainless spineless Tory? 😉

Edited February 5 by IanD

[DandV]

13 hours ago, MtB said:

 

But its imaginary money though. Fix the housing supply problem and the "wealth" of the property owners you mention will evaporate because house values will tumble. 

 

Supply and demand innit. Flood the market, any market, with supply and the price drops accordingly. Which of course is exactly what we need in the housing market and why it won't happen, all neatly encapsulated in one mechanism. 

Alternatively fix the demand side by reducing the population to fit the number of houses we already have. Equally politically unacceptable! 

Fixing, or rather taking the actions that reduce the "values" of existing property are deeply unpopular amongst the property owning class.

When our previous Government reduced interest rates as a Covid measure to keep our local economy buoyant, house prices rose about 20% as the covid stimulae were invested on real estate. The property owning class were very happy with their new found wealth,  but those seeking to get into the market were devastated.

Our then government attempted to rectify this by savage rises in the interest rate and massively increasing the build rate of social housing.

The effect of this was property prices then dropped 20%

The property owning class were then deeply unhappy, and this was a major factor in the last change of government.

This new government is reducing the new build rate of social housing, and reversing liberalizing restrictive regulations that impedes intensification within current urban boundaries. House prices are now rising again as scarcity with increased immigration is putting upwards pricing pressures.

The property owning class is happy once again.

 

But those not in the property owning class are being screwed even more. 

But they are unlikely to vote for a more left wing government anyway.

 

[MtB]

5 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Well, I would say I would be right along side you. However, my mobility scooter probably won't make it past the 6 foot deep potholes and climate change protestors. Besides, the retirement age will be 87 by then, and unless my scooter has an inbuilt toilet and my replacement knee and hips hold up,Westminster may be a step too far. 

 

I'll be right up for an internet protest though as long as it doesn't clash with my afternoon nap.

 

 

I'm even older than you but I'd definitely be up for joining in with the protests, by writing a tersely-worded letter to the PM of the day. 

 

 

 

[Sue68]

We are told the Europeans went back home after Brexit, leaving us short of workers. So what happened to their housing?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Sue68 said:

We are told the Europeans went back home after Brexit, leaving us short of workers. So what happened to their housing?

 

They did. But once the folly was realised some (fortunately) have been able to legally return to work so still needed accomodation and some lived '0n the job' in hospitality or farming anyway.

 

HTH.

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, MJG said:

 

They did. But once the folly was realised some (fortunately) have been able to legally return to work so still needed accomodation and some lived '0n the job' in hospitality or farming anyway.

 

HTH.

It isn't a problem of numbers of people, it's a problem of housebuilding. There are hundreds of houses being built round where I live, new estates going up all the time. No schools, hospitals, shops. No "affordable" ones - one block of flats is just being built where planning permission demanded a proportion for affordable, the builder reneged and the council nodded it through - they can't afford to fight it. Most of the houses are high end because that's where the profit is. We're ending up with posh houses and slums, and nothing in the middle.

But that's what you get in a third world country.

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

But that's what you get in a third world country.

 

I think you need to get some perspective Arthur. Of all the third world countries out there, why are so many third world citizens so keen and determined to come and live here? It makes no sense if the UK is as shite as you like to make out. 

[Jerra]

12 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I think you need to get some perspective Arthur. Of all the third world countries out there, why are so many third world citizens so keen and determined to come and live here? It makes no sense if the UK is as shite as you like to make out. 

Because we are at the top end of the third world list?   An improvement on what they have?

[IanD]

26 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Because we are at the top end of the third world list?   An improvement on what they have?

And because by far the most common second language in many places abroad is English, and it's the international language of trade and business.

[Jerra]

11 minutes ago, IanD said:

And because by far the most common second language in many places abroad is English, and it's the international language of trade and business.

Also I can't offer anything other than opinion but spend 5 or 6 years in the UK become a citizen and then the world is your oyster.

[doratheexplorer]

3 hours ago, Jerra said:

Also I can't offer anything other than opinion but spend 5 or 6 years in the UK become a citizen and then the world is your oyster.

Is it?  It used to be the Europe was your oyster.  Not any more.

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Is it?  It used to be the Europe was your oyster.  Not any more.

 

It is still very close.

 

The Power of a passport is worked out using many variables  and gives an International rating for each countries passports.

 

The EU countries are =  Between 177 & 174

 

The UK = 174

 

And the Uk still 'better" than the USA which has a power of 172

 

The most 'powerful' passport in the world is the UAE

 

The UK passport still makes the world your Oyster !

 

[doratheexplorer]

17 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is still very close.

 

The Power of a passport is worked out using many variables  and gives an International rating for each countries passports.

 

The EU countries are =  Between 177 & 174

 

The UK = 174

 

And the Uk still 'better" than the USA which has a power of 172

 

The most 'powerful' passport in the world is the UAE

 

The UK passport still makes the world your Oyster !

 

Not really a valid comparison.  The score is based on visa requirements (or lack of).  The point is was making wasn't about that.  It used to be that UK passport holders could remain in any EU country indefinitely.  Not any more.  The passport 'score' takes no account of that loss.

[Jerra]

59 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Is it?  It used to be the Europe was your oyster.  Not any more.

British citizens find their passports and then themselves welcome in most parts of the world.  If you want to work in a country I think if we could find the statistics UK passport holders find it easier than third world passport holders.

[manxmike]

I still like the story that an illegal immigrant (arrives in UK with no visa or permission - therefore illegal) lands on the beach near Dover and is met by a genie who gives him three wishes.

Wish 1 is for a wonderful meal - BOOM a table laden with delicious food appears.

Wish 2 is for somewhere luxurious to live - BOOM a top class hotel appears

Wish 3 is to become a British citizen - BOOM the food and hotel disappear

When the immigrant asks why the genie tells him as he's British now he is entitled to nothing

Edited February 6 by manxmike
missing word!