If Robert Jenrick was a councillor he'd be facing some very serious consequences, and that's no euphemism.
More like prosecution for misconduct in public office.
Indeed. I know a few councillors of all stripes fuming at this, where they have recused themselves because they've been at the same event as a person making an application.
I know there's a pandemic on but this is still a big issue, someone at Downing Street or CCHQ must know this is going to get very messy.
Absolutely right and as soon as this broke, I was on here calling for his resignation. It’s a thundering disgrace Jenrick is still there.
FPT - this is a fascinating 40-minute interview. Yes, it's 8 months old, but it's no less fresh for that - the quality of the interviewer and interviewee is excellent. Well worth your time to watch in full:
What's particularly interesting about it is that it featured on PoliticsJoe, which has a very left-ish tinge. However, Oli Dugmore, the interviewer, allows Douglas Murray to develop his arguments, listens to what he has to say, gently challenges him on some of it, and reflects on and considers some of his points - you can see him doing it.
It's very good. No interruptions. No point scoring. It's a sad reminder of how good political interviews used to be.
I think Douglas Murray got fairer treatment here than he would have done on Newsnight or Channel 4 news.
Full respect to Oli Dugmore.
There is a growing niche on the YouTube for these type of interviews. Unfortunately, on the MSM, it is all about the gotchas these days.
I've not watched the interview and don't know the channel, but i agree with the sentiments. It's an odd thing that Britain is, I think the only country in Europe where all the maintstream print media is strongly biased - I'm familiar with the press in eight countries and although they all have Sun-like gotcha papers, the broadsheets make a serious effort to appear balanced and give everyone a hearing.
TV takes its style from this, I think, and the belief that you gain audience by being combative and making every interview into a battle. And perhaps it's true - it's hard to explain the popularity of the Paxman genre otherwise. But it doesn't appeal to me - like Casino I'd rather the interviewer explored the opinions of the subject, including politely asking difficult questions, and let the viewers - generally consenting adults - make their own minds up.
I tend to think the influence is more US TV news. The presenters have turned themselves into the story. I suspect many of them are terrified of seeming 'soft', of letting the politicians get away with it etc. IMO you can be forensic and probing without all the theatrics.
I do think you are slightly naive about politics though. We all know that politicians are often sent out with a brief to deflect from the core issue, shift the focus onto something else, not answer the question (perhaps with good reason!). Of course the viewer is going to be irritated by that and interviewers seem to think they are the peoples' representative. On balance I'd still see it as preferable to a supine approach which you often see elsewhere in the world - for obvious reasons.
The problem with the combative approach is that the result is about as interesting as fight in an episode of Batman in the 1960s.
POW! The interviewer throws a punch, telegraphed a week in advance!!!!
SMASH! The politician deflects it, with a swipe that would have severely inconvenienced tissue paper!
KABLOIE! The interviewer kicks in the manner of little old lady with an annoying piece of gum stuck to her shoe.
SWIIIIIIPE Politican does.... something.
If someone tries asking questions, with some knowledge of the subject, they might actually produce answers. Or at least get the politicians to run out of selective platitudes.
I managed that once against a master of answering his own question.
Just received an email from my dentist (private) saying £7 surcharge for a check up, £35 surcharge for aerosol generating work to cover PPE cost. That is seriously steep charges, I imagine a lot of people won't be able to afford that.
Is that through Denplan ?
No, just a private dental practice making their patients aware of the additional charges. It isn't a particularly fancy place.
Thanks.
My wife and I have been in Denplan for years and they are very good
They paid for a repair to a filling in New Zealand, an emergency repair for my wife in Uxbridge just before we flew to Canada, and repair to my crown which fell out on my way to Heathrow 2 years ago
As well as most general treatment
I was with Denplan but then got moved without my permission to BUPA - I assume because the practice I am registered with changed cover provider.
BUPA have said they will not cover the cost of the PPE and like others on here I have been told I must stump up £7 a visit for the PPE costs.
My sister went last week to the same dentist and was really annoyed to find out that the PPE consisted of a squeeze of hand sanitiser and one of those paper masks you can buy for pennies.
We have not heard from Denplan yet but expect it will be similar
It just beggars belief that Desmond and three of his top people on this scheme were all sat at this table on the off chance that ‘their’ Cabinet Minister for the dinner would be Jenrick. Boy, did they strike it lucky. But doubtless they would have done the same if they’d landed Gavin Williamson, Anne Marie Trevelyian or Alok Sharma.
Anyway, Labour are devoting their Opposition Day to this on Wednesday. Will the hapless Chris Pincher again be sent in to bat while Jenrick furtively lurks in the tea room?
How can Chris Pincher do it? He’s probably the Minister having to make the planning decision now.
Four authors represented by JK Rowling’s literary agency have resigned after accusing the company of declining to issue a public statement of support for transgender rights.
Fox Fisher, Drew Davies and Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir said they could no longer work with the Blair Partnership, the London-based agency that represents all aspects of the Harry Potter author’s work, because they were not convinced the company “supports our rights at all avenues”.
A spokeswoman said it would always champion diverse voices and believe in freedom of speech for all but it was not willing to have staff “re-educated” to meet the demands of a small group of clients.
(Guardian)
Why not just accept that people have different opinions?
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Populism destroys itself in office, as it is an incoherent programme for government, and not one that is robust enough to withstand electoral mood changes. Populism is a reaction against government, not an effective government.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
It has a lot to recommend it. It is why I have always thought that restricting tests to those in hospital was pointless. It gives no idea of how the virus is spreading in the general population and if there is one figure that would have been useful.......
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
It has a lot to recommend it. It is why I have always thought that restricting tests to those in hospital was pointless. It gives no idea of how the virus is spreading in the general population and if there is one figure that would have been useful.......
The ONS are reporting regular population surveys and these don't support the iceberg theory at all.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Populism destroys itself in office, as it is an incoherent programme for government, and not one that is robust enough to withstand electoral mood changes. Populism is a reaction against government, not an effective government.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
Serious question- are there any examples of avowedly populist governments doing well for the countries they govern?
(And I'm less convinced than before that Cummings does have a programme, beyond "I'd like a lot of that pie thank you".)
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
It has a lot to recommend it. It is why I have always thought that restricting tests to those in hospital was pointless. It gives no idea of how the virus is spreading in the general population and if there is one figure that would have been useful.......
The ONS are reporting regular population surveys and these don't support the iceberg theory at all.
My anecdote vs the Gold Standard ONS, it's a toughie.
Populism destroys itself in office, as it is an incoherent programme for government, and not one that is robust enough to withstand electoral mood changes. Populism is a reaction against government, not an effective government.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
Serious question- are there any examples of avowedly populist governments doing well for the countries they govern?
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
Guido stirring up shit but Labour is right to do this
They know there's almost no support for de-funding the police in this country.
You just know Corbyn would be supporting it though
You mean he isn't already?
Dismantling the state is hardly left-wing.
The NHS is getting all the praise currently, but we have all sorts of long-standing good guys. None less than the rather wonderful bunch in blue. I've had my odd disagreement with officers of the law, but the police force is an unsung good thing, and not less so than the NHS.
Populism destroys itself in office, as it is an incoherent programme for government, and not one that is robust enough to withstand electoral mood changes. Populism is a reaction against government, not an effective government.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
The other thing about Populism in government is it tends, over time, to unite the opposition against it. We see it in America. With everyone from the Berniebros to George W and John Bolton coming together. In Brazil, where Marxists and the mainstream centre right are co-operating. Am thinking BLM in the US are nothing if not a Left Tea Party.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
What does it say about covid if the opposite? And that no one else in your family tests positive for the antibodies?
Hopefully there is research being done about this.
I have to admit as someone who was convinced we'd see spikes following the various protests perhaps the disease is a bit more complicated than we thought.
If Robert Jenrick was a councillor he'd be facing some very serious consequences, and that's no euphemism.
More like prosecution for misconduct in public office.
Indeed. I know a few councillors of all stripes fuming at this, where they have recused themselves because they've been at the same event as a person making an application.
I know there's a pandemic on but this is still a big issue, someone at Downing Street or CCHQ must know this is going to get very messy.
Absolutely right and as soon as this broke, I was on here calling for his resignation. It’s a thundering disgrace Jenrick is still there.
It’s a great article. His position is surely untenable now ?
Steve Reed is the Shadow Minister. I know nothing about him. Is he any good?
If he starts ranting about corruption he will miss the mark. He needs to ask - repeatedly - why Jenrick did not recuse himself after that dinner and when he told his officials the full story of what happened there.
It would also help if he had some inside knowledge of how tables at fund-raising dinners are organised and whether the Minister knows in advance e where he will be sitting. Because that part of the story does not smell right to me either. But what do I know? Perhaps it is lucky dip.
Steve Reed has fantastic judgment, he follows me on Twitter for starters.
Populism destroys itself in office, as it is an incoherent programme for government, and not one that is robust enough to withstand electoral mood changes. Populism is a reaction against government, not an effective government.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
Serious question- are there any examples of avowedly populist governments doing well for the countries they govern?
(And I'm less convinced than before that Cummings does have a programme, beyond "I'd like a lot of that pie thank you".)
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
How does one get the antibody test?
I am being sent the other test - the horrible one - which Hancock is always going on about. Does that show antibodies or only if I have it now?
The swab test is for viral antigen, and goes negative in time. The antibody test takes a few weeks to go positive, but stays positive. It requires a 5ml or so blood sample.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
What does it say about covid if the opposite? And that no one else in your family tests positive for the antibodies?
Hopefully there is research being done about this.
I have to admit as someone who was convinced we'd see spikes following the various protests perhaps the disease is a bit more complicated than we thought.
I have to admit as someone who was convinced we'd see spikes following the various protests perhaps the disease is a bit more complicated than we thought.
It definitely is. You get people living in close proximity and it not spreading from the infected person, which is apparently not uncommon, and at the other end of the spectrum one person at an event spreading it to dozens of people in a few hours.
I think there's a fair chance that many of the apparent differences between the disease in different countries will prove to have much less to do with interventions than we currently believe. What the factors are that cause COVID-19 to spread rapidly or not are as yet unclear.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
What does it say about covid if the opposite? And that no one else in your family tests positive for the antibodies?
Hopefully there is research being done about this.
I have to admit as someone who was convinced we'd see spikes following the various protests perhaps the disease is a bit more complicated than we thought.
Those spikes will happen TSE, they're just not very big in the scheme of things.
Protesting on the streets when asked not to perhaps may have cost five lives - total guess. However each of the protesters is guilty of some small fraction of manslaughter. They're completely innocent of sense.
Any infection will likely come through ways that we don't see. Opening a door into a supermarket, handling the basket, snogging the sexy checkout girl. All of these things need to be considered
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
Tory backbenchers would vote down removing planning powers from councils as it would be electoral suicide, so that is a non starter
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
Tory backbenchers would vote down removing planning powers from councils as it would be electoral suicide, so that is a non starter
I agree. It was in some policy paper some adviser now in government wrote IIRC, but I'd think it would be more of a threat than anything else, to try to make some tweaks seem less aggravating.
You can't sack the minister for overruling planning guidelines the day before you abolish them
Just leave a little gap between the actions, or get someone else in quickly who will agree to whatever is planned. I doubt they would have trouble finding someone to agree to any new guidelines.
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
Tory backbenchers would vote down removing planning powers from councils as it would be electoral suicide, so that is a non starter
I agree. It was in some policy paper some adviser now in government wrote IIRC, but I'd think it would be more of a threat than anything else, to try to make some tweaks seem less aggravating.
Indeed, forget Brexit, if there is one thing guaranteed to get middle England Home Counties Tory voters switching en masse to the LDs it is building over the countryside and greenbelt.
As you say it will be more tweaks to the planning process
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
There are well over half a million unimplemented permissions for new homes in the UK and developers tend to develop only 40-60% of those they get. Blaming the planning system is an easy but false target for many politicians.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
There was a rather charming article in a pro European paper the other day - essentially, why is the Evul Boris Johnson doing so well, with his horrible nationalism? ...while Macaron, the good European is being given a kicking by the terrible French people.
The article gave one to understand that it was in the French character to not understand the genius of good rulers.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
Or put more plainly, they want houses for rich people, not poor.
There was a rather charming article in a pro European paper the other day - essentially, why is the Evul Boris Johnson doing so well, with his horrible nationalism? ...while Macaron, the good European is being given a kicking by the terrible French people.
The article gave one to understand that it was in the French character to not understand the genius of good rulers.
Le Pen might win the first round but Macron will still win the run-off.
If a populist is going to be elected anywhere in western continental Europe it will be Salvini in Italy
There was a rather charming article in a pro European paper the other day - essentially, why is the Evul Boris Johnson doing so well, with his horrible nationalism? ...while Macaron, the good European is being given a kicking by the terrible French people.
The article gave one to understand that it was in the French character to not understand the genius of good rulers.
Surely all Macron needs to do it get around 20-25% and hope Le Pen is in the top 2 with him?
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
Or put more plainly, they want houses for rich people, not poor.
Not necessarily.
If you visit Marden, in Kent, you will see what I mean. First the village has been strangled by "No build" policies.
Now the planners have allowed the developers to build a small number of ugly rabbit hutches.
The reason that they are small and hideous is not that land is not available - but that the developers have been ordered to observe a required density.
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
Tory backbenchers would vote down removing planning powers from councils as it would be electoral suicide, so that is a non starter
I agree. It was in some policy paper some adviser now in government wrote IIRC, but I'd think it would be more of a threat than anything else, to try to make some tweaks seem less aggravating.
Indeed, forget Brexit, if there is one thing guaranteed to get middle England Home Counties Tory voters switching en masse to the LDs it is building over the countryside and greenbelt.
As you say it will be more tweaks to the planning process
The green belt is a cancer on society, prioritising horses needs over people.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
Trouble is the distribution of people in space and time.
Romford's actually a pretty good example of this. Havering borough has loads of green belt, most of it pretty uninspiring. A really shrewd Conservative council would allow lots of it to be used for houses with gardens and lots of parkland. The kind of people who'd move in would be reliably Conservative for decades.
But in the short term, that's electoral poison, as HYUFD points out. The people already living there don't want more land given over to housing, and they fear the hit on their own home value. But it's accepted that more residential units are needed.
So Romford has increasing amounts of very high density housing going up. Certainly no gardens, not much parkland, not much car parking space, so they have to be near train stations.
The sort of people these flats are aimed at- urban professionals priced out of Stratford- are going to change the demography and the politics of the area far more. Even if these flats are a nice place to live, which is a bit unlikely.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
What does it say about covid if the opposite? And that no one else in your family tests positive for the antibodies?
Hopefully there is research being done about this.
I have to admit as someone who was convinced we'd see spikes following the various protests perhaps the disease is a bit more complicated than we thought.
Because at the start I though Cyclefree was going to look at the huge issue of housing policy rather than the more prosaic issue of a dodgy Conservative Minister who should have been out of his job weeks ago.
Obviously the latter is still important and I think the article nails it very well. But I would so much rather have read about how to fix our long term housing issues.
If interest rates hadn't remained at rock bottom for the last decade, then perhaps the whole % of affordable housing thing wouldn't have been required.
The root of the issue is not building more houses, when the population rises. Any other solution merely shifts the problem about.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Lack of properties is not the problem. There are a large number of unused properties or properties that could be renovated.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
Simple fix then - start giving out planning permission like confetti.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
If councils start building over the Green belt then Residents Association, Independents and LDs will sweep the board at the next council elections
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
Or put more plainly, they want houses for rich people, not poor.
If you have 25 million nice houses and flats with gardens and nice balconies, the poor get better housing too. If it's all built like complete mince then even the rich live in rabbit hutches.
I don't see why Jenrick would be needed for that, it's a long term goal and anyone could do it. Planning is a mess, but given the urge from public and councillors is to say no to things and government wants to make it simpler to say yes to things, I would think MPs would find hundreds and hundreds of loyal councillors lobbying them to avoid anything extreme. One of the suggestions had basically been for local councils to set short, general policies, and other than that they'd have no involvement whatsoever. It'd get things moving more (although most decisions are made by officers anyway), but councillors wouldn't wear it.
There are well over half a million unimplemented permissions for new homes in the UK and developers tend to develop only 40-60% of those they get. Blaming the planning system is an easy but false target for many politicians.
Exactly. I don't think developers should be able to apply for new permission within a borough unless they have either developed or waived the right to develop land for which they already have permission. Seeing them building up land banks while the Government ticks off the council for not building enough is just infuriating.
Very handy if your family has significant land holdings on the edge of a University city...
Have you even thought he may actually be right
Have you thought that Cummings probably has little real knowledge of planning law and policy?
I mean he’s meant to know about all sorts of things but what we do know is that he’s the sort of person who rewrites his articles to claim that he forecast things when he didn’t.
There are certainly issues with planning policy in this country but it’s a bit more complicated than “remove controls and let people build”. You might want to look at the appalling damage done to places like Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool etc in the 1960’s when developers were given free rein.
In many places the residents want building - quality building. The current fad for a square meter per person, no gardens etc is not what people want.
While everyone would like a nice place, a lot of people would settle for anything habitable to rent or buy at a reasonable price. I hear far more complaints about lack of affordable homes than I do about lack of nice affordable homes with a garden and good living space - even in Surrey. People feel that finding anything at all is a challenge.
That is an interesting question and I have not been able to find an answer. In 2009, as a just qualified solicitor - even one working at Skadden Arps, which pays top dollar - he was able to buy a £1 mio house. He does not come from a wealthy background, as far as I can tell. But who knows? For all we know he could have won the lottery.
There was a rather charming article in a pro European paper the other day - essentially, why is the Evul Boris Johnson doing so well, with his horrible nationalism? ...while Macaron, the good European is being given a kicking by the terrible French people.
The article gave one to understand that it was in the French character to not understand the genius of good rulers.
Le Pen might win the first round but Macron will still win the run-off.
If a populist is going to be elected anywhere in western continental Europe it will be Salvini in Italy
What is Boris doing that is nationalistic? Apart from Brexit he is totally kowtowing to the woke agenda. He should have come out said the Floyd murder was a terrible event, but it had nothing to do with this country, and any protesters showing the slightest hint of violence or vandalism should have been arrested. Any police officer taking the knee in uniform should have been sacked.
Truly bizarre that they are not taking this line. Appeasement of wokeness and the assault on British culture and history is not popular. There are no votes in it but plenty to be lost.
if the Tories had any sense they'd be circulating that pic of Starmer and Rayner taking a knee around every red wall seat.
Has it occurred to anyone on this site that, in some northern cities, like Burnley, anxious working class white parents of underage girls might feel that white lives, in their case, literally don't matter?
Burley football club have condemned it & said they will ban whoever was behind it.
The issue isn't planning, it's that developers are allowed to sit on land for years whilst it goes up in value.
The other issue is that houses and developments are bought up from people abroad who never live in it. That should be made illegal, it's funny a "pro Britain" Tory Party doesn't rush to ban that or tax it very heavily.
O/T Last week my father had the antibody test and it turns out he had Covid-19.
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
At any point since start of the year did he feel ill?
He had a cough back at the start of February that lasted two days but wasn't like the Covid-19 symptoms.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
How does one get the antibody test?
I am being sent the other test - the horrible one - which Hancock is always going on about. Does that show antibodies or only if I have it now?
They are only rolling it out to NHS workers and care home workers for the time being.
But it should be rolled out to the wider public at some point.
Nope. Depends on where you are. In Lincolnshire they are being offered to anyone who has a blood test for any other reason.
So last week I had a full set - Diabetes, PSA, Kidney function, Thyroid, Cholesterol, and a load of others. And they asked if I wanted a CV-19 antibody test as well.
So of course I said yes. Both my crew had had antibody tests before heading offshore and shown positive so I thought there was a good chance I would be positive as well.
Unfortunately not.
Which is a shame because it would have been nice to have lost the immediate personal fear of the virus.
Very handy if your family has significant land holdings on the edge of a University city...
Have you even thought he may actually be right
Have you thought that Cummings probably has little real knowledge of planning law and policy?
I mean he’s meant to know about all sorts of things but what we do know is that he’s the sort of person who rewrites his articles to claim that he forecast things when he didn’t.
There are certainly issues with planning policy in this country but it’s a bit more complicated than “remove controls and let people build”. You might want to look at the appalling damage done to places like Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool etc in the 1960’s when developers were given free rein.
I have no idea how much Cummings knows but he is the 'bete noire' of so many these days he is unlikely to be given a hearing, even if he is right and indeed brought forward lockdown as many say he did
Comments
POW! The interviewer throws a punch, telegraphed a week in advance!!!!
SMASH! The politician deflects it, with a swipe that would have severely inconvenienced tissue paper!
KABLOIE! The interviewer kicks in the manner of little old lady with an annoying piece of gum stuck to her shoe.
SWIIIIIIPE Politican does.... something.
If someone tries asking questions, with some knowledge of the subject, they might actually produce answers. Or at least get the politicians to run out of selective platitudes.
I managed that once against a master of answering his own question.
If you made it harder/more expensive to get a mortgage, then perhaps house prices would be lower. But the root of the problem would still be there - lack of properties,
Considering he hasn't left the house since the 18th of March (and neither has anyone else in this house) that's some achievement.
I'm re-evaluating my views on the iceberg theory.
That is why there is a sense of urgency. Cummings wants to burn all bridges to continuity. It is a very unConservative programme.
No one else in this house has any Covid-19 symptoms either, I'm guessing the way this things transmits, I must have had it as well.
But I realised that there are some things that, even I don't want to know.
For example, a large office complex near where I used to large was deserted for some time. Then it was converted to flats. It was sufficiently successful that another office block half a mile away went the same way.
The whole SW side of central Manchester was refurbed from old warehouses and is now vibrant.
The real problem is that a shortage of supply keeps the prices high and that seems to be the real goal of the housing market.
(And I'm less convinced than before that Cummings does have a programme, beyond "I'd like a lot of that pie thank you".)
I know of several households where one has had it, but no one else in the house has. It is weird.
Hopefully there is research being done about this.
There's a reason that agricultural land next to a commuter station just outside London is £2.5K an acre.
Oh, and the Green Belt is Institutionally Racist. So win, win, win.
I am being sent the other test - the horrible one - which Hancock is always going on about. Does that show antibodies or only if I have it now?
The NHS is getting all the praise currently, but we have all sorts of long-standing good guys. None less than the rather wonderful bunch in blue. I've had my odd disagreement with officers of the law, but the police force is an unsung good thing, and not less so than the NHS.
We see it in America. With everyone from the Berniebros to George W and John Bolton coming together.
In Brazil, where Marxists and the mainstream centre right are co-operating.
Am thinking BLM in the US are nothing if not a Left Tea Party.
1) Various Sainsbury's delivery drivers once a week
2) A family friend who drops of our Halal meat orders and meds
3) One DPD driver who dropped off my MacBook Air
4) The occasional Amazon driver
But full social distancing took place on every occasion and I opened the door on all but one instance.
But it should be rolled out to the wider public at some point.
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1275165591465349120
I think there's a fair chance that many of the apparent differences between the disease in different countries will prove to have much less to do with interventions than we currently believe. What the factors are that cause COVID-19 to spread rapidly or not are as yet unclear.
Protesting on the streets when asked not to perhaps may have cost five lives - total guess. However each of the protesters is guilty of some small fraction of manslaughter. They're completely innocent of sense.
Any infection will likely come through ways that we don't see. Opening a door into a supermarket, handling the basket, snogging the sexy checkout girl. All of these things need to be considered
https://twitter.com/TheEmmett_/status/1275142251916730371?s=20
Somebody will be for the high jump after they spent so much money on signing exclusive streamers.
As you say it will be more tweaks to the planning process
Macron is not exactly popular.
There was a rather charming article in a pro European paper the other day - essentially, why is the Evul Boris Johnson doing so well, with his horrible nationalism? ...while Macaron, the good European is being given a kicking by the terrible French people.
The article gave one to understand that it was in the French character to not understand the genius of good rulers.
If a populist is going to be elected anywhere in western continental Europe it will be Salvini in Italy
If you visit Marden, in Kent, you will see what I mean. First the village has been strangled by "No build" policies.
Now the planners have allowed the developers to build a small number of ugly rabbit hutches.
The reason that they are small and hideous is not that land is not available - but that the developers have been ordered to observe a required density.
Romford's actually a pretty good example of this. Havering borough has loads of green belt, most of it pretty uninspiring. A really shrewd Conservative council would allow lots of it to be used for houses with gardens and lots of parkland. The kind of people who'd move in would be reliably Conservative for decades.
But in the short term, that's electoral poison, as HYUFD points out. The people already living there don't want more land given over to housing, and they fear the hit on their own home value. But it's accepted that more residential units are needed.
So Romford has increasing amounts of very high density housing going up. Certainly no gardens, not much parkland, not much car parking space, so they have to be near train stations.
The sort of people these flats are aimed at- urban professionals priced out of Stratford- are going to change the demography and the politics of the area far more. Even if these flats are a nice place to live, which is a bit unlikely.
I mean he’s meant to know about all sorts of things but what we do know is that he’s the sort of person who rewrites his articles to claim that he forecast things when he didn’t.
There are certainly issues with planning policy in this country but it’s a bit more complicated than “remove controls and let people build”. You might want to look at the appalling damage done to places like Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool etc in the 1960’s when developers were given free rein.
Would you like me to list them?
Nor should you forget me putting the boot into Shami Chakrabarti as often as I could.
Unless you have a link.
Truly bizarre that they are not taking this line. Appeasement of wokeness and the assault on British culture and history is not popular. There are no votes in it but plenty to be lost.
if the Tories had any sense they'd be circulating that pic of Starmer and Rayner taking a knee around every red wall seat.
The other issue is that houses and developments are bought up from people abroad who never live in it. That should be made illegal, it's funny a "pro Britain" Tory Party doesn't rush to ban that or tax it very heavily.
So last week I had a full set - Diabetes, PSA, Kidney function, Thyroid, Cholesterol, and a load of others. And they asked if I wanted a CV-19 antibody test as well.
So of course I said yes. Both my crew had had antibody tests before heading offshore and shown positive so I thought there was a good chance I would be positive as well.
Unfortunately not.
Which is a shame because it would have been nice to have lost the immediate personal fear of the virus.
Ever since Thatcher basically stopped the state building, we've never kept up with demand. The private sector alone can never make up the shortfall.
Get the state building again.