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.

But the public won't forget this.

Copied for Manuel's faiding memory.

Housebuilders hit by Ed Miliband's rent control plans
Labour's housing policies face widespread criticism as almost £200 million wiped off value of Britain's biggest house builders


By Emily Gosden, and Ben Martin11:49AM BST 27 Apr 2015CommentsComment
Britain’s housebuilders saw their share prices hit on Monday after Ed Miliband unveiled detailed plans to impose rent controls on landlords.
Almost £200 million was wiped off the value of Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Developments and Persimmon in the wake of Sunday’s announcement that Labour would bar private landlords from increasing rent by more than CPI inflation for three years.
The plans will see buy-to-let investors pull out of the market as Labour makes it unattractive to rent out properties, experts warned - worsening the shortage of available housing for the so-called "generation rent" Labour says it wants to help.
The Association of Rental Letting Agents (ARLA) said that three-quarters of its members feared the plans would "see landlords exit the market and reduce supply".
Richard Lambert, head of the National Landlords Association, said: "We understand Labour wants to assure tenants they have their concerns at heart, but this policy will backfire because they don't understand the economics of supplying private housing to rent.
"These changes will have far-reaching consequences for the private rented sector, for landlords' willingness to put their own money into providing homes, and for mortgage lenders' view of the risk in supporting them.
"If these proposals are going to be rushed into the first Queen's Speech, less than a month away, without time to think through the consequences, Labour's good intentions could make the housing crisis worse, not better."
There was also widespread criticism of Labour's plans to abolish stamp duty for first-time buyers on properties worth up to £300,000.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said it could further fuel house prices.
Jeremy Blackburn, head of policy at Rics, said: "While this proposed Stamp Duty reform could help some first-time buyers in the market, it’s another measure that tinkers with demand-side stimulus. Prices are already predicted to rise in the next Parliament and this is only likely to make matters worse."
Labour's plans for rent controls have been widely criticised since their were first raised last year.
Brandon Lewis, the Conservative housing minister, said: "Ed Miliband is re-launching a policy that descended into chaos when it was first announced – the experts he claimed backed his plans came out and attacked it as unworkable.
"Rent controls never work – they force up rents and destroy investment in housing leading to fewer homes to rent and poorer quality accommodation. Even Ed Miliband’s own Shadow Housing Minister admits they don’t work."
Shares in Taylor Wimpey fell as much as 2 per cent in morning trading while Barratt fell as much as 1.9 per cent and Persimmon fell as much as 1.8 per cent.
By late morning the value of the three FTSE 100 housebuilding companies was £178 million lower. Shares in FTSE 250 housebuilders also fell.



Sold your shares yet RED FRED????

Dickhead is causing havoc and not even in government :0)

I wonder if Miliboy is as good at creating money as he is at destroying it. First the energy companies, then the builders and he's not even elected yet? Who's next one wonders? He will never be PM, but still his mission to damage the UK economy carries on unabated.

perhaps labour will nationalise housebuilders as well, to ensure they don't make more than 5% profit .... mind you, with plenty of new managers and paperwork in place, they'll be lucky to make any profit at all


it never ceases to amaze me how utterly gormless 95% of politicians are, with some totally preposterous and unthought "wonder schemes" splattered all over the place .... the inevitable, "oh, it was meant like that and it was all taken out of context" swiftly follows

I have it on good authority that you will be nationalised, and about time to in my humble -):

that means you'll own a part of me .... what a privileged chap you will be :-)

Conservatives still on course for a majority.

total bollocks ...... most seats yes, but majority not in a zillion years

You have to realise that H/S lost the plot years ago Alf.

i've just the plot for him - in willesden cemetry :-)

What a good idea, can I contribute -):

I bet you that Labour will try and tax speadbet's , Milli as allready said he will tax sporting bet's.

Clem Chambers said he has a bet that UKIP will get 5 seats

i confess i have always been puzzled that s/b are not treated the same way as cfds or even shares - ie as for cgt

Probably because some of the political crooks and their mates are in on it themselves.

the current ruling goes back a great many years
for some reason s/b is regarded as gambling whereas cfds and shares are perceived as investing .... all a bit esoteric, but i guess it may be to do with s/b having time constraints or somesuch ..... i wonder how traditional traded options are classified for taxation purposes

Keeping the books may be to difficult.

Better to tax the profits of the companies.

But I suppose they could put a levy on a deal!

Good idea Fred, and double tax if they contribute to the "Con" Artists.

Betting (including spread betting) is a zero sum game. If governments start taxing punters on their winnings, there would also have to be a strong case on them offering relief on punters' losses, and, by virtue of the fact it's a zero sum game, it would almost certainly cost the government money overall.

As it happens, the game player who stands the greatest chance of winning (ie. the bookie) is already taxed on their profits.

Game theory

Zero-sum games