Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

If it wasn't for buy to let landlords, where would people live? There would never be enough social housing. In the UK, we are obssessed with owning property. Across Europe, in France, Belgium, Germany there is a much greater proportion of people renting.

At sensible prices Haystack.

Check it out.

True. But part of the reason our rents are so high is because of our obsession with owning our own property and making a profit from it. It becomes a never ending process.

Go on Max, youve now got Hays's measure.

He doesnt like it up him.

Labour lead at 1

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 2nd December - Con 32%, Lab 33%, LD 7%, UKIP 16%;

Drop in economic confidence since March

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/12/03/drop-economic-confidence-since-march/

i haven't even bothered to glance at all the posts above, as the usual suspects will have trundled out their customary partisan crap

overall, the media and political and economic analysts have generally come down in favour of GO's speech and proposals, given the continuing economic problems prevailing ...... as an aside, i think this cheap oil may bring a lot of headaches in its wake with less money available to saudi and similar to invest

anyway, the FT looks worth buying and reading this morning, but i did chuckle at one of it's headlines that i get on-line .....

Labour is stuck in the political doghouse
It is possible to ridicule the Tories’ missed targets, and still favour them over the shabby alternative

Listening to Osborne being interviewed by John Humphrys.

Isn't he touchy.

Calling legitimate questions biased and dodging answering them.

Housing boom burst before May? UMMM


Will have to look budget a little more carefully.

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The is a history making day here on MAM in that Haystack has made his first (can he keep it up?) first sensible post on here re economics/politics.

"Haystack - 04 Dec 2014 00:43 - 52089 of 52097

True. But part of the reason our rents are so high is because of our obsession with owning our own property and making a profit from it. It becomes a never ending process."

A very well done old bean from all us sensible people I'm sure -):

i confess i thought GO (and his advisers) was very stupid to be interviewed on tv in the bentley factory in crewe, albeit that that marque is going from strength to strength

============

rent levels are determined by supply and demand, the notional value of the property being rented being almost irrelevant to anyone other than the landlord

Manuel,

As a man of multiple properties how many 1st homes are bought and sold a year?

How many individuals are effected by the "house tax"changes?

Strange that they can afford hand backs to one of the wealthy groups in society and at the same time charge the "spare room tax" and build social housing for lesser mortals?

i have no idea at all which is why i asked questions relating to house sales yesterday
what is the relevance as to whether sales are to first time buyers or others?



btw, hardly "multiple properties" ...... marital home + fortuitous small property in west london bought in 1978 + (quite) low value buy-to-let near chatham due to repo to settle bad debt

now sticky (the bounder) is the REAL man of property with several houses abroad and a few apartment blocks for rental in the northern tundra


as a total aside, were you were aware that there was very considerable jealousy among northerners to southerners even in the mid 15th century (wars of the roses time)?

Think man, think!


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15th century. Is that when the north were being starved?

obviously insufficiently :-)

i don't why the south was substantially the richer region (the trent was the notional divide) even then, but i'ld guess it's because london was the major hub for international trade and, generally speaking but not always, the seat for gov't, whether the court or parliament

What about Bristol and Liverpool, Glasgow even?

Manuel.

Why I asked the question on properties b/s is to get into perspective the effect on the number of voters "directly" effected by the housing tax changes.

I looked at various charts, but probably because I am not framing my questions correctly not getting answers I can understand. (I am feeling thicker today than usual.)

Again, the number b/s effected by changes I would guess are small, but it seems a stupid "give away" economically, but "politically" may also back fire.

However, I can see why the government is advocating "devolution" as they realise that their incompetencies will come back to haunt them and they want "local" thiefdoms to take the responsibility.

What a legacy from Cameron and Osborne.