Debate House Prices
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R.Peston blog on inflation flooded with those disenchanted with housing
Comments
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Graham_Devon wrote: »[
But some of the living costs, specfically housing is far lower in some areas of Europe too - especially when you compare like with like (I.e. what you actually get for your money).
Different economic and financial policies have been followed. So comparison on a straight cost basis is meaningless. At the general election vote for the party that proposes to cap future mortgage lending to 2.75 times income. Overnight property prices will fall. Whether all lenders can cope with the strain this would impose on their balance sheets at the moment is another matter.
Financial correction will take many years to achieve and require many levers to be pulled. There's no one single solution.0 -
Thrugelmir wrote: »Nurses receive incremental increases for 10 years within each grading band. That's on top of any inflationary rise. So even with 1% inflation rise there real pay is rising nearer 3%-4% per annum.
Exactly. So they have a lousy job but financially all that training pays off. Unfortunately, pity the poor patient, because too mnay nurses these days treat nursing as a way to get a better paypacket than in other jobs, rather than the vocation it used to be.0 -
Exactly. So they have a lousy job but financially all that training pays off. Unfortunately, pity the poor patient, because too mnay nurses these days treat nursing as a way to get a better paypacket than in other jobs, rather than the vocation it used to be.
Isn't that a reflection of wider society rather than "nurses" in particular.0 -
Graham_Devon wrote: »I'd agree. But this data isn't just looking at the first few months so can't really be explained by that. Every month personal debt levels increase. They did fall, but were back to peak again now, having just past it last month (according to 5 live).
I wonder if they are up past the 2007 levels when worked out per head of population who are of borrowing age though? During that same time period, our population increased by over 3 million people, and the then population has aged by 8 years, so that's a few more million being able to borrow who weren't able to borrow in 2007.
The thing with working is people want to reward themselves personally for their work, so not just earn enough to pay the basics but earn a bit more for enjoyment. People who work don't want to have to think about can they afford a decent pair of shoes for £70 or a good quality winter coat for upwards of £100.
But ultimately, they want to buy a house. It's drummed into us, now very much a part of our culture, that we need to aspire to own our own little slice of Britain. If they have realised, on their income, they are never going to be able to do that in their neck of the woods, maybe they just treat themselves with things they can't quite afford (hence the ricse in personal debt) instead, to compensate for their failure to "live the British dream".0 -
DaveTheMus wrote: »The only way to sort the housing problem IMO is end RTB and build lots of council houses...
And if I hear another Labour, Tory or Lib Dem politician say we must build more housing I will throw a brick through my telly. Their developer/banker led model will never allow that.
Only the Greens or UKIP have any answers - build shedloads more social housing on the mass scale of the 1930s or 1950 or control the population growth by limiting unskilled immigration. Maybe their problem is they are too honest - rather than talking endless soundbites and doing nothing.0 -
Thrugelmir wrote: »Isn't that a reflection of wider society rather than "nurses" in particular.
Maybe. Of a society so enamoured with some of those doing essential services (teachers, nurses, doctors (GP salaries are so high it's outrageous) dentists) and so dismissive of the rest, that people with degrees, even Science degrees, are consigned to the dusty NMW world of Poundland.
Farmers only survive here because of EU subsidies. If they were relying on what their customers, the supermarkets, are paying for their produce, they'd probably need working tax credit to stay afloat.
Policing might be a good job except we seem intent on reducing their numbers. Are there any traffic police left down south besides those working the M6 in Cumbria?
Maybe more people are getting their pennies together and managing to get on the housing ladder? The number of people claiming housing benefit has dropped from 4.985 million to 4.883 million in the year to Nov 2014, and is well down on the 5.3 million claimants in Feb 2014, in spite of a rising population over that time period. So maybe this does indicate an improvment in the fortunes of people in general.
And yet on the housing front, it's dismal. Only 19,000 loans to first time buyers in January 2015, down 14% on January 2014. Yet BTL loans are 18,200 in the same month, up 14% on January 2014. (source:http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/4160) And why is that? Because government policies favour landlords over first time buyers. Would be buyers can't earn enough to get a mortgage. BTL landlords, who probably already own the property they live in, so are relatively well off compared to the rest of us, just march on getting wealthier, the Conservative Party's chums. What a disaster.0 -
Loughton_Monkey wrote: »I fear that food banks are becoming one of the biggest political weapons. Labour want it this way.
When anything is given away free, who on earth is going to refuse?
Just imagine that surplus theatre or cinima seats were given away (strictly to pensioners) in Loughton Library, then I'd be along there like a shot. Despite the fact that I could easily afford a box at any show in the West End whenever I want!
Nail on head.
I never used to go to the cinema regularly - now I get free cinema tickets via my Pruhealth policy I go every week. I haven't become more interested in going to the cinema - I am more likely to go now as the ticket is free!
We all love freebies - free lunches, free offers, buy one get one free, free coffee at Waitrose etc.
If its free - more people will take advantage of it.
But you never ever see anyone on the media pointing out this obvious fact!0 -
Jack_Johnson_the_acorn wrote: »OR..........
Some people just want decent & fair rights for the lowest paid in the country, some people (the unfortunate but becoming ever more numerous) are never going to be capable of achieving as much career wise, but it should go without saying that they should be treated with respect for e.g.
Zero hr contracts. They should be available, but a company shouldn't be able to have a workforce whereby 100% of the employees are on them. Employees deserve some security.
The right to a living wage. Just scraping by as an existence surely isn't enough. You can't expect people to live hand to mouth forever without some form of backlash.
Housing should be available to those in need without being screwed over by estate agents etc. with extortionate fees and dubious accommodation standards.
But most of all respect. People can't help the circumstances of which they are born into. Stigmatising and ridiculing the poor is abhorrent and the Conservatives should be ashamed in that regard.
Labour might not be best economically for the country but at least they try to be fair, even if their policies do fall short at times.
Like I said, there's a strand of thinking on the left that would rather everybody had £1 than everybody had £2 except for 2 or 3 people who had £3.0
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