Labour's simplemindedness will be its downfall - and ours. You can't build and bulldoze your way out of the housing crisis. Unless you also change the system, you'll still leave millions without decent homes. My column today explains why.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/26/labour-building-housing-market-private-developers
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/26/labour-building-housing-market-private-developers
Comments
Re: Revised property tax
Middle class will take the heat & wealthy wont. 1 person living in a 2.5 bdrm house would be taxed higher-what’s the point of trying to live within your means to care for yourself to avoid social care? Everyone knows in this country a 3rd bedroom is a box/office🤷♀️
https://HomesForEveryone.org
There is no magic solution. To bring down the price of houses you have to burst the market, and that means the banks and it has to be permanent. He cant do that and we all know it.
He has to make the best impact possible and pull the chain another day.
I sadly don’t think Labour have got the balls to take the path less painful.
Today the relationship of UK political parties & so called democracy, has evolved to a Parent-child hierarchy of Capitalist Tory ideology that serves the establishment and power of super wealthy.
Superb article and so sad.
It requires a mix of reforms and massive national investment, and acceptance both will drive down house prices and directly hurt big money donors.
That's why even with a huge majority Labour won't.
Pensioners, disabled, minorities, and poor aren't seen as part of Labour's future so get "reformed". Landlords, home owners, and investment funds are so won't.
But I won't be holding my breath.
And what would the impact of such massive wealth reduction be for the majority of homeowners (more specifically, mortgage holders)?
The problem is people can't afford to live where houses are cheap. That's the 'rebalancing' that our geographically divided economy needs.
And you seem to give him all the catalyst he needs.
The real target should be Westminster, oligarchy, etc.
Just an observe.
And me a staunch SNP.
Target your attacks at capitalists. ( including starmer.)
Their power means they can now threaten to bankrupt the nation if they don't get their way.
We don't have many options left do we?
The Oligarchs gather...
Politicians are scared to confront (very) private interests. And that's extremely shameful because it reinforces the idea that politicians are corrupt or inept. So strongmen are needed to solve problems.
This alone will force gov to u turn on the housing target
Because they don’t provide homes.
They have hardly any impact on economic inequality.
Mostly because they’re a distraction from going after the Banks and Hedge Funds (who own Reeves and Starmer).
Unfortunately Reeves is an idiot.
So the result was it also impacted lower income family farms; and the revenue raised is minuscule compared to what a proper wealth tax would have accrued.
How terribly quotidian of you.
But
I promise if you consult any English dictionary in the world you'll stop using it that way.
Read any Monbiot article. He uses the simplest word possible every time. That's good writing
Lib Dem stunts in opposition, though?
You phrase it like they're averse to conflict but they are actively *aligned*
I think they're ignoramuses trying to look strong and statesmanlike.
But you're right about handing the country to the far right.
https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/sortition-revolution-a-bold-plan-to-avert-civilisations-collapse/
But give Labour their due:
they keep telling us their No. 1 mission is Growth. All else is deprioritised.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-green-climate-change-starmer-miliband-b2372012.html
The proposal for Tring will increase housing stock by almost 40%, but the new houses won't be starter
There needs to be joined-up thinking on housing across the country, not arbitrary targets
Also, where is the workforce going to come from to build all thes houses? In our area a significant proportion of the construction workforce is building HS2.
You do realize don't you, that a beehive, is a human built structure, and that the Honeybees kept in them, are a domestic animal. That of the 300 species of bee in the UK, the Honeybee is the only one that lives in big colonies, and is kept in hives.
Big business and especially the fossil fuel industry are fully in control.
Why are the British like this?
More debt means
Increased GDP.
That's the purpose.
Housing people is a collateral benefit.
The Renters Rights bill won't be enough either.
More housing unit of all types reduces the pricing of all housing nearby.
This has been established by studies globally.
Pretending otherwise is an argument to continue the critical housing shortage that is driving the current crisis, and is just another form of NIMBYism.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/20/labour-conservative-party