London rents to be capped at £1250

carolt

London rents for MPs living over 1 hour away are to be capped at £1250 - AND this is to be imposed on MPs without a vote.

Fatastic news. Obviously, the fact that MPs expenses are to be curtailed generally is great news for taxpayers generally. But this specific detail re capped rents in London will have the effect of making MPs far more aware of how expensive renting is in London - once they see exactly how far their £1250 will take them.

If they want theirfamilies to live with them during the week, they shall have to experience life in the outer suburbs, like the rest of us, or enjoy a studio or 1 bed if they wish to have the luxury of walking to work.

Looking forward greatly to seeing the effect this will have on tenants' rights and on subsidies for the housing market, once MPs cease to be able to build up property portfolios at the expense of the rest of us.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6454939/Gordon-Brown-to-force-MPs-to-accept-Sir-Christopher-Kelly-proposals.html

the_ash_and_the_oak

not really feeling this MP thing is going to have any effect on my rent imo

Pete111

Phew - for a horrible moment I though some crazy piece of legislation had been passed unnoticed!

carolt

the_ash_and_the_oak wrote: »

not really feeling this MP thing is going to have any effect on my rent imo

Immediately, no. But this is due to be pushed through very quickly, before the next election, and one can't help suspecting that MPs will have a very different perspective on renting when they are forced to be tenants rather than landlords.

Also, I don't primarily expect it to affect rent levels, rather tenants' rights.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Still harping on about it carolt.....

Your thread on the same subject already get locked and reported to abuse, after the previous thread on the same subject was moved to DT.

This will make no difference. MP's are a tiny percentage of sales.... maybe 8 or so a month out of 75,000 sales a month.

It's utterly irrelevant.

As for MP's suddenly becoming all sympathetic about rents..... No they won't. They'll just pick up a couple of hours a month of consulting work at 1K an hour to pay the difference.

Doubtless landlords will treat them with kid gloves, to prove how great they are too.

So instead of being independant, they will now become more dependant on corporate special interests. Way to go, great idea!!!!

Law of unintended consequences and all that....:rolleyes:

CLAPTON

more likely to ensure that in future we only have MPs with private means .. back to the 19th century

vivatifosi

I saw the £1250 and wondered whether they meant per week or per month. Strange thing with London rents, you look in an agent's window, think '£850, that's reasonable', then notice its per week not per month.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

CLAPTON wrote: »

more likely to ensure that in future we only have MPs with private means .. back to the 19th century

Indeed.

Although with the Tories coming in, that'll mostly be the case anyway...;)

Really2

So if they want some where more expensive they add to it.

Or instead of having a second home they live in their constituency and stay in a hotel when in the capital or commute.

It is just going to stop MP's being excessive and will have no effect on rentals what so ever.

If they live in London they should not have to rent another place anyway.

chucky

that poor woman MP who is working at the House of Commons on a late hearing will now have to go on the tube, then the train and get herself home from Central London instead of being able to live in London or have her train fares expensed..

it will mean less women MPs at the end of the day.
it's a shame really, some women do have something valuable to add :rolleyes:

carolt

CLAPTON wrote: »

more likely to ensure that in future we only have MPs with private means .. back to the 19th century

Oh come off it - they earn 65K plus expenses - hardly hard up. And nothing to stop their spouses working, too.

In the days when politics was only for those of private means, I believe they weren't paid at all.

TBH, if it means that politics attracts those who are passionate about making a difference, rather than just making a quick buck, then it's a damn good thing.