"Generation Rent" now on the Wacky Backy

jjlandlord

Parliament and Whitehall are bubbles and it would be very difficult to change.
Moving the government would just move the bubble.

Washington D.C was created from scratch and is now its own bubble.

In fact, I think that if government moved out of London they'd be even more in a bubble since they'd also be removed from the country's economic centre.

PasturesNew

I've been saying for years that they should all move out - probably to Bristol I thought as it's got the M4 and it's got cheaper housing and it's got an airport .... makes much more sense.

Or, build a new airport along the M4 in an empty bit - and build a custom "hotel" for them all to stay in so there's no more expenses farces.

New airport + a rail link would benefit people from the rest of the country going on holiday - and people who are simply changing planes and have no desire to be IN London, but were always plonked there as that's where planes landed.

Same with trains, maybe create a new transport hub that avoids London. The system forces everybody to go to London, then get on another bit of transport to leave it again. Nuts.

lisyloo

Or, build a new airport along the M4 in an empty bit - and build a custom "hotel" for them

Hullavington and Lyneham are very close to the M4, already have airfields and accomodation - including married quarters, plus rail link to London nearby.
If it's good enough for heros that fight for their country and deserve our respect then it should be good enough for MPs shouldn't it?

wotsthat

lisyloo wrote: »

Hullavington and Lyneham are very close to the M4, already have airfields and accomodation - including married quarters, plus rail link to London nearby.
If it's good enough for heros that fight for their country and deserve our respect then it should be good enough for MPs shouldn't it?

What sort of person do you want to represent you in parliament and how you attract them?

You seem to think they should be happy with a dramatically lower standard of living than you enjoy yourself.

yertiz_2

wotsthat wrote: »

You'll end up with more, not less, professional politicians.

£67k and having to live in Hull - hardly likely to attract the brightest and best to politics.

So we have the brightest and best politicians? Maybe we need more 'conviction' politicians and 'elder statesmen' who are'nt in it for power and money, or expecting a plum job in London when they leave.

purch

PasturesNew wrote: »

probably to Bristol

Oh gawd no................Bristol already has the worst traffic congestion in the country.

My vote goes to Aberystwyth.

Loughton_Monkey

wotsthat wrote: »

What sort of person do you want to represent you in parliament and how you attract them?.......

This is an extremely good question and one that confounds everyone.

All I can say with total confidence is who I don't want to represent me. And that is "anyone who wants to represent me".

This is because no normal, balanced, intelligent person would really want to do it without some sort of perverse self-seeking motive, whether it be money, kudos, power-seeking, sleeze, vested interests, fame, or 99 other things at which I cringe.

Democracy is far too important to put into the hands of the people.

wotsthat

yertiz wrote: »

So we have the brightest and best politicians? Maybe we need more 'conviction' politicians and 'elder statesmen' who are'nt in it for power and money, or expecting a plum job in London when they leave.

No I don't think we have the brightest and best (but far from the worst) but demanding they work for a pittance and live in a hostel in Stoke won't improve matters. Why expect politicians not to have the same aspirations as 99.99% of the rest of the population?

Graham_Devon

wotsthat wrote: »

No I don't think we have the brightest and best (but far from the worst) but demanding they work for a pittance and live in a hostel in Stoke won't improve matters. Why expect politicians not to have the same aspirations as 99.99% of the rest of the population?

Who is demanding that they live in a "hostel"?

Firstly they would only reside there when on duties which require them to attend parliament. (if they did not wish to go home or were too far for it tobe viable)

Secondly, the only person to mention a hostel, is yourself.

A lot of the accomodation for the services around here are individual houses. There are some bedsits / flats too. But theres a world of difference between them and a hostel.

There is absolutely no reason MPs cannot be expected to use taxpayer funded accomodation kitted out with everything they require, including privacy.

Further, theres abslutely no reason to expect them to "live" there, as that's rather absurd. They would live in their family home whereever that may be.

Obviously those living in downing street currently, and cabinet staff who pretty much never leave parliament should have something a bit better than the "standard" adccomodation described above. That's only fair.

I'm all for giving them a pay rise too, if they used such accomodation instead of using expenses to help them purchase a home.

wotsthat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Who is demanding that they live in a "hostel"?

Firstly they would only reside there when on duties which require them to attend parliament. (if they did not wish to go home or were too far for it tobe viable)

Secondly, the only person to mention a hostel, is yourself.

A lot of the accomodation for the services around here are individual houses. There are some bedsits / flats too. But theres a world of difference between them and a hostel.

There is absolutely no reason MPs cannot be expected to use taxpayer funded accomodation kitted out with everything they require, including privacy.

Further, theres abslutely no reason to expect them to "live" there, as that's rather absurd. They would live in their family home whereever that may be.

Obviously those living in downing street currently, and cabinet staff who pretty much never leave parliament should have something a bit better than the "standard" adccomodation described above. That's only fair.

I'm all for giving them a pay rise too, if they used such accomodation instead of using expenses to help them purchase a home.

Yes hostel was me making a point but we've had the idea of them all staying in a hotel near Bristol or even on ex forces estates. You've just mentioned a bedsit - all much nicer than a hostel I'm sure.

And if they had a pay rise they'd have to use that if they had the gall to want to live in a flat rather than a bedsit? I think the ambassador is spoiling us!

You'll alienate 'normal' people from politics even more.