Dr Strangelove (how I learned to stop worrying and love Boris)

Who is that?

 

I'm sure someone will be along shortly with the cartoon...

 

Well at least the last appointment worked out well for Boris and he got his £800k loan. Those unknown amount of kids private schools don't pay for themselves after all

 

I was really encouraged to read about Labours plans on housebuilding and to an extent the so called inter-generational unfairness we have in our society. Building new houses is key, making them a priority for first time buyers even more so. Our youngsters have very little chance at the moment to get the sort of housing security that has set the basis for my generation to enjoy a certain quality of life. I hope they go further to rebalance things to help the younger folk.

Of course pensions are the big ticking time bomb economically. Again my generation has had it good in terms of incentivised pension schemes. My kids have much less to look forward to. At some point soon a govt will have to make some tough choices and ask the older generation who can afford to pay more to do so. Ask me and I will gladly say yes. Labour are hopefully making the first noises about the inherent unfairness we have.

 

Aye it’s a huge problem, I have no idea how my kids will afford a house when they are older. I try not to think about it too much as it all seems pretty bleak.

Personally I got lucky, bought a house in 2001 for £28k in Millfield, sold it during the housing boom a few years later for £75k. Then gradually jumped up the ladder.

Now I’m 43, separated and renting with virtually no chance of getting back on the ladder as most of my disposable cash will need to go to the bairns if they are to have any chance.

 

Ah the Bonko Broadcasting Corporation. Educate, Entertain Misinform.

 

All sorts of problems with housing, political and cultural. Glad to hear Labour have abandoned the idea that you can squeeze building companies until the pips squeak while also asking for mates rates.
Kids these days don't seem to want to buy small first and work their way up mind. They've been sold the celebrity lifestyle idea that they're entitled to a mansion at 21.

 

It is brutal mate. I dont know how they get a fair start to be honest. We have an obligation in my opinion to bring a bit more balance to help them out.

 

I am not sure many kids think that way to be honest mate. I think an awful lot of them are very well balanced because they have already lived through a pandemic. That, in my experience, has really grounded a lot of them. It also had a terrible impact on them and their life chances to be honest. Kids lost so much education, and growing up experience, but as far as I see the grown ups have ignored this and expect them to meet the same expectations that existed before. I dont have any answers, but I am sure they will have it tougher than I did. They deserve help from our govt in my opinion.

 

I think it's two things - my generation (Gen X) tends to be a lot more permissive and trying to let our kids have a bit more freedom than we had, and there's a recent social trend of not listening to anything we have to say anyway, whether it's good or bad advice, plus the culture of self obsession the internet has created. It sets these kids up to be disappointed their whole lives.

 

I would like to see , that when house builders get their permission to build with a clause for x amount of smaller “ affordable “ homes , that those homes are for owner occupiers only , not just on first sale but forever.
When homes are “affordable “ , they are also cheaper for landlords- if they keep buying them up , there’s still not going to be availability for the young

 

I see that the Transport Secretary is following the Government's Modus Operandi and trying to turn the people against the unions and those on strike.

Arguing that the rail strikes are "cynically" targeting Eurovision is a bit hypocritical when he's using the high profile event to try and turn the public against them.

 

Very difficult for the youngsters now, l bought my first house in Woking, the vendor wanted £5,500 and wouldn't take a penny less. Most l could muster was £5,400.

Its not what you know, but who, l was in the same class as his son at school, the girl l was going out with, her best friends parents were his best friends, and a lad l played football with was the selling estate agent. Between them they managed to persuade him to sell.
12 months on l sold the house for £11,400.

Levelling up maybe? We do need government intervention into housing and help for younger people.

 

Local councils given permission to borrow funds to build housing for rent. Rental income pays off the loans?

 

Important point that mate. Some of the things landlords get up to are terrible. I started out renting and had 1 landlord that was sound, the other was a right arse. I think owning something like a car or even a car teaches you how to value something.

 

I am not sure I would trust them to run a good service. Look at all the horror stories about the state of social housing and some of those are council run. There does need to a space for renting properties, but there needs to be much greater rights for tenants to a minimum level of service.

 

If they don’t do something to increase home ownership , we’ll get to a stage where more of the population own either zero houses or multiple houses- few will have exactly one. Multiple ownership self finances by the rentals buying or at least providing the deposit on the next one. More property that will never go back to market , even when landlord dies, children will probably just inherit an east income.

 

The more people we have who are renting homes, working on zero hour contracts and feeling left out of society ...

... the more anti-social and fractured society will become.

But the likes of Sunak, Johnson, Rees-Mogg don't live in that world so they can retreat to their mega-rich bubble. It doesn't matter, to them, if people can't heat their homes or afford to feed their kids, that's a different country as far as they're concerned.

 

Meanwhile Starmer once again publicly states Sunak does not believe child abusers should go to jail. He cant help himself. He seems determined to outdo the tories when it comes to gutter politics. No doubt he will be all offended and jump back on his moral high horse when they bite back. What a leader we have to look forward to it seems