Builders to be Nationalised?

Generali

From the FT (link):

Gordon Brown has been urged by senior Labour MPs to nationalise parts of the housebuilding industry in the wake of this week’s rescue of the big banks.......

Many influential Labour voices believe the government could benefit from taking a greater role in the industry. This could save thousands of jobs and solve the shortage of social housing at a relatively low cost.......

Austin Mitchell, MP for Great Grimsby, said the government should act swiftly to nationalise the builders and “put them to work” making council homes......

It looks like New Labour are rapidly reverting to type. Nationalising the banks and the builders. It looks like a fiscal crisis is looming so presumably they'll try to fix that by 'soaking the rich'. Oh well, as Harold Wilson said, "England only win the World Cup under Labour" so that's gotta be worth a tenner at 7-1 or whatever derisory price the bookies will give us.

wymondham

This would add to our expanding portfolio!

Seriously.... how often can a Government bail out companies that fail or are struggling?

baby_boomer

This crisis shows politics in its true light. People vote for politicians because of our instinct about their true character, rather than what's in their manifesto.

Roosevelt, for instance, said he would balance the US budget in the 1932 election.
Obama says that he's not going to put up US taxes.

With Gordon, we know that his instincts and gut feeling is much more socialist than he's let on under New Labour and he just loves the idea of being in control of as much of the economy and the country as political circumstances will allow.

This is his time and his opportunity to shine and be true to himself .

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

How long before we are all forced to wear grey and call each other Comrade?

baby_boomer

wymondham wrote: »

This would add to our expanding portfolio!

Seriously.... how often can a Government bail out companies that fail or are struggling?

The publican - Government to bail out pubs :eek:

In fact, that's not such a bad idea! Although I'm not quite sure why it needs government money as opposed to advice.

"....grants of up to £20,000 are made available from local councils under the Sustainable Communities Act..."

Maybe it's part of a secret plan to place John Prescott in a more natural habitat than the House of Lords?

mizzbiz

What will that solve for god's sake?

Are they going to nationalise manufacturing and retail too so that people keep their jobs and be able to afford houses? What about Estate Agncies too? They are failing and need saving otherwise who's going to sell these houses?

Pubs... well, looks like the government want them to fail anyway. Don't actually want us to drink away the money we borrow, better we buy 'products' with it. Afetr all, if they didn't want pubs to fail, why would they introduce a smoking ban and try to raise alcohol duty?

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

They are allowed to smoke in the bars in the Houses of Parliament and the drinks are subsidised so they aren't bothered about the common man.

globalds

3 building companies that use the services provided by the company I work for have gone under in the last couple of weeks ...so the government will have to be sharpish or there will not be much to snap up .
I think we may well see a national program of housebuilding ..We really will see price falls in property then .

mizzbiz

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax wrote: »

They are allowed to smoke in the bars in the Houses of Parliament and the drinks are subsidised so they aren't bothered about the common man.

:eek: Now I really want to leave this horrible country! Nationalising housebuilders? Big Brother? And now the above............disgusting.

New Zealand here we come (if we can sell our house!) :rotfl:

Gangstabird

What an absolute joke. Everyone knows that not one department other than speed cameras (who are not a company) make any profit for government. Housebuilders usually make profits, thats why they build houses.

If they nationalise building, expect a huge tax rise just for the fact that it will be bug gered up by red tape, elf & safety and cost a fortune to run, don't forget all of the meetings about the meetings that haven't happened yet, you need civil servants for that.

Low cost social housing indeed, a two bedroom flat will end up costing what a 5 bedroom house would cost to build. Ridiculous.

wymondham

If we are all to become enforced shareholders, then could we choose the next worthy cause by a competition? - I was thinking along the lines of X Factor?