In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
I think that means she was 1.5-3x more popular in the Congress than with the public at least?
Peru's Congress has voted to remove President Dina Boluarte from office, hours after a late-night session was called to debate her impeachment.
One of the world's most unpopular leaders, with an approval rating of 2-4%, Boluarte's tenure has been plagued by frequent protests, scandals and investigations, as well as a surge in gang violence.
A total of 122 out of 130 lawmakers voted for Boluarte's removal early on Friday, following votes resoundingly in favour of four motions of impeachment.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
About as much as its dwindling list of supporters want to pretend it came with no political or economic cost, evidently..
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
No it was not
In theory, this helps early stage buyers in London and the South.
In slightly better theory, the biggest wins will go to those buying crazy-expensive houses, because of the way stamp duty is structured.
In accurate theory, as long as the going rate for a house is "every penny you can possibly scrape together", the benefit will go to the seller, not the buyer, becuase they will be able to demand a higher selling price.
In practice, the main beneficary of this announcement is Kemi Badenoch, who has bought herself some good headlines at a critical time. And as long as she doesn't have to turn the announcement into policy, it's not really cost her anything. Put like that, it's a bargain.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
I was at a 50th last night, a friend of the host who lives in Essex said he was going to have to vote Tory to keep Reform out... he wasn't happy about it though!
Would there be much point if Jenrick Tories are indistinguishable from Reform? We need the non-Jenrick Tories to prevail.
He said his current Tory MP is okay as Tories go, can't remember his name, the area is Brentford I think.
He's probably talking about Alex Burghart MP for Brentwood.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
If it wasn't Brexit, it would be something else.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
The premise of the article is dubious most Conservatives like myself lost our seats in 2022 so if you survived that then you are probably going to survive 2026. My seat won't be up again till 2027 because of the new council arrangements.
There will be a lot like me who could well take our seats back with the anti-Tory vote split between LD and Reform.
Nigel Farage is very like Tim Farron, just like Farron his supporters see him as the Messiah, but in reality they are both just naughty boys.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
About as much as its dwindling list of supporters want to pretend it came with no political or economic cost, evidently..
No. The problems the Conservative Party has are similar to those of all conventional centre-right parties right across the West, particularly in Europe.
In the counterfactual that there was a vote to Remain in 2016 it would have continued to double-down on its pensioner voting base, and been in confusion as its voting coalition moved around it as high immigration continued and values continued to shift.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
No it was not
In theory, this helps early stage buyers in London and the South.
In slightly better theory, the biggest wins will go to those buying crazy-expensive houses, because of the way stamp duty is structured.
In accurate theory, as long as the going rate for a house is "every penny you can possibly scrape together", the benefit will go to the seller, not the buyer, becuase they will be able to demand a higher selling price.
In practice, the main beneficary of this announcement is Kemi Badenoch, who has bought herself some good headlines at a critical time. And as long as she doesn't have to turn the announcement into policy, it's not really cost her anything. Put like that, it's a bargain.
You need to read the explanations by various think tanks and others including Paul Johnson, formerly of the IFS, all of whom say it is the worse of bad taxes and endorse the policy on the grounds of encouraging mobility in the market and growth
I expect labour to adopt it sometime in the next few years and the cost of 4.5 billion is small beer when it comes to labour spending
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
If it wasn't Brexit, it would be something else.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
It's weird. Up until the early 2000s those values weren't considered in the Conservative Party to be mutually exclusive.
Possibly because the principles of free movement of capital and people were at levels such that they didn't cause political problems.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
The left's pet Tories.
I always find it rather amusing when non-Tories try and tell Tories what real Tories look like.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
If it wasn't Brexit, it would be something else.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
The public keep saying they want zero or reduced immigration but are they willing to pay the cost of that. Reduced economic growth and potentially a depression in the short term.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
The left's pet Tories.
I always find it rather amusing when non-Tories try and tell Tories what real Tories look like.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
If it wasn't Brexit, it would be something else.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
The public keep saying they want zero or reduced immigration but are they willing to pay the cost of that. Reduced economic growth and potentially a depression in the short term.
The implied promise, high net immigration in return for high economic growth, has never been delivered. So, I doubt that many will now be convinced by that argument.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
The left's pet Tories.
I always find it rather amusing when non-Tories try and tell Tories what real Tories look like.
No argument with you there. I have up caring about them a decade ago.
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I'm not actually sure that is what's needed, though I support her mission and she's impressed me now.
Tories (of all stripes) are very apt to get cosy and comfy when they get their feet under the table. Yes, the new Government will need their administrative experience - but I am not sure they should be taking the lead with Reform doing backing vocals. I think I'd like a 60 to 40 Reform vs. Tory split in the Government, for preference.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Indeed, but they want that to be true - so badly.
If it wasn't Brexit, it would be something else.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
The public keep saying they want zero or reduced immigration but are they willing to pay the cost of that. Reduced economic growth and potentially a depression in the short term.
Come off it - as I've pointed out multiple times this week, politicians look for easy answers, then implement the first bit without thought to the consequences elsewhere,
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
When you form a government, you get to alter the statutes though.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
When you form a government, you get to alter the statues though.
Oh, so Colston gets put back up in the centre of Bristol then?
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
Some of these duties on councils that are now cast in stone are not a consequence of laws made in parliament of Ministerial decree, but court rulings from appeals. All kinds of things that are now dramatically pushing up costs in council services were either unheard of fifteen years ago, or were very rare exceptions. Hi welcome all by the way!
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
When you form a government, you get to alter the statues though.
Oh, so Colston gets put back up in the centre of Bristol then?
"Edit... 32 seconds left". If only editing edited blockquotes...
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I think Angela Rayner at 32/1 is better value as next PM. Labour is the next government (70%+), Starmer is still PM (70%+), Starmer steps down during the next parliament (70%+), Rayner takes over for a fresh start (30%+) That's about 10/1
Tories are the next government (5% Betfair), Badenoch is still leader (20% Betfair). That's about 100/1.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
The left's pet Tories.
I always find it rather amusing when non-Tories try and tell Tories what real Tories look like.
Transparently self-serving.
'We need to ensure those types of Tories prevail'
Piss off.
How rude!
Of course it's self serving. I don't mind a one nation Tory Government, but I don't want racist national socialist Tories ruining my country. My vote is the same value as yours.
On the topic. Halligan has a piece in Telegraph hugely supporting her and saying she must be allowed to stay the course.
"...the Tories are in a far stronger position than they were a week ago and that’s down to Badenoch. She has shown courage and resilience – and the public is starting to notice."
"One reason is that Badenoch – in by far the best speech of the UK’s entire party conference season – stated firmly and credibly that the Tories under her leadership not only believe in but will deliver sound fiscal management."
The Telegraph have now disclosed that the Chinese super embassy has, at the behest of the Government, been put through a public process (why is a public process even a thing for diplomatic buildings?), which means the intelligence services have not been able to give evidence listing their concerns, because their evidence would have to be made public.
The Chinese have also been holding up repairs to the UK embassy in Beijing, which apparently frequently has its water cut off, until the Government approves their super-embassy.
I hope I am not prone to breathless predictions here, but I have always doubted that Sir Security Risk would go the distance, and this feels like it has the potential to bring down the Government.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
When you form a government, you get to alter the statues though.
Oh, so Colston gets put back up in the centre of Bristol then?
"Edit... 32 seconds left". If only editing edited blockquotes...
I was teasing - but at least one of us has been known to try and edit blockquotes to claim he didn't say what he did. So it's a very useful feature, however annoying it can be ...
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
Actually, sounds about par for the modern-day course. The shitshow of algorithm-driven online dating blended with the shitshow of algorithm-driven "AI". Match made in heaven.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
A secondary thing to note is what Reform is not saying. They are not saying that we shall cut costs and ignore the rule of law by deciding to dispense with our expensive statutory duties.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
Some of these duties on councils that are now cast in stone are not a consequence of laws made in parliament of Ministerial decree, but court rulings from appeals. All kinds of things that are now dramatically pushing up costs in council services were either unheard of fifteen years ago, or were very rare exceptions.
A government could still address that, but it would be more complicated.
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I think Angela Rayner at 32/1 is better value as next PM. Labour is the next government (70%+), Starmer is still PM (70%+), Starmer steps down during the next parliament (70%+), Rayner takes over for a fresh start (30%+) That's about 10/1
Tories are the next government (5% Betfair), Badenoch is still leader (20% Betfair). That's about 100/1.
I don't share those assessments of the odds, but I agree Rayner is probably value at 32/1
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Do you ever get things right ?
First time buyers are exempt upto £300,000
This is a policy that eases mobility in the markets and is widely supported by think tanks
You need to understand the policy will be welcomed by all buyers, other than those in Scotland and Wales which presently will retain it, and not just London and the south
Yes but the fact only buyers over £300k pay it means scrapping it will be most beneficial for those in London and the South with the highest house prices
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I think Angela Rayner at 32/1 is better value as next PM. Labour is the next government (70%+), Starmer is still PM (70%+), Starmer steps down during the next parliament (70%+), Rayner takes over for a fresh start (30%+) That's about 10/1
Tories are the next government (5% Betfair), Badenoch is still leader (20% Betfair). That's about 100/1.
Just looking at how 'sticky' the relative votes are, despite everything at least* 75 constituencies voted Conservative consistently since 2010. For Labour it's 89. Somehow the MRP polls are suggesting that after 14 years of consistently voting one way these voters will switch to Reform. Difficult to imagine that Kemi (or whoever) would perform so badly that these areas would give up their allegiance based on vague, unfunded promises from a serial looser.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Brexit and Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit are crucial to the current state of the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party without Spreadsheet Phil, Rory the Tory and Dominic Grieve is not the Conservative Party, and Johnson threw them out over Brexit.
The left's pet Tories.
I always find it rather amusing when non-Tories try and tell Tories what real Tories look like.
Transparently self-serving.
'We need to ensure those types of Tories prevail'
Piss off.
How rude!
Of course it's self serving. I don't mind a one nation Tory Government, but I don't want racist national socialist Tories ruining my country. My vote is the same value as yours.
I don't 'try to ensure' pet Labourites of mine 'prevail'. I state openly who impresses me and why, caveat it with what my biases are, and leave it there.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
I'm not a luddite, but it does feel like we're at a point in many areas where people are having to mould to fit the convenience of systems and algorithms, rather than the other way around.
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I think Angela Rayner at 32/1 is better value as next PM. Labour is the next government (70%+), Starmer is still PM (70%+), Starmer steps down during the next parliament (70%+), Rayner takes over for a fresh start (30%+) That's about 10/1
Tories are the next government (5% Betfair), Badenoch is still leader (20% Betfair). That's about 100/1.
It's partly a bet on Labour losing without pressing the "new leader" emergency button first.
Whilst history and logistics say that Labour are more likely to do that than the Conservatives, are they really that likely?
(It's also a bet that, somehow, Farage collapses or runs away. Hands up, I'm expecting that, but it's not obvious that KB will be a sufficient beneficiary.)
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
They aren’t heading for extinction, even on current polls 18 to 20% of voters intend to vote Tory and if we had PR they would still definitely be still electing over 100 Conservative MPs.
Only FPTP puts the Conservatives at risk of fewer than 50 MPs and ultimately being taken over by Reform
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
I send parcels and packets maybe once a week or two weeks on average, using online ordering from RM, Parcelforce or other courier. I recently looked into the price of sticky labels suitable for A4 printers, bearing in mind that (a) one needs a whole A4 sheet per label usually even if 75% of it is left blank, and (b) the risk of an expensive messup in the printer (given that my printer costs £650, being an ink tank A3 job which is absurdly cheap to run). Not impressed, given the likely usage per annum (and the fact sticky labels deteriorate with time). Ditto the cost of those little transparent plastic wallets. In the end I just cover the un-sticky ordinary A4 label with strips of wide transparent sellotape. But convenient it is not.
And if one is handwriting one may as well use the existing postcode and address system - the number and postcode usually does the job and the name and address act as backup.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
They aren’t heading for extinction, even on current polls 18 to 20% of voters intend to vote Tory and if we had PR they would still definitely be still electing over 100 Conservative MPs.
Only FPTP puts the Conservatives at risk of fewer than 50 MPs and ultimately being taken over by Reform
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
Their core vote voted for Brexit it was dumping Brexit delivering Boris that saw the resurgence of Farage in the first place. He had only been put back in his box after Boris became PM, before Farage and his Brexit Party had surged in the polls as the Tories failed to get Brexit done
Depends what you count as their core vote.
The old Conservative core, people doing well but tolerating just enough social reform as was needed to stave off revolution, weren't particularly keen on Brexit.
The new Conservative core, greedy old people, were far keener on it, because they saw it as another money flow that should be diverted to them.
The Conservatives aren't the only ones with that confusion. Labour's actual core is early middle-aged graduates working in services or the public sector professions. But the party are still haunted by horny-handed sons of toil. They are way less numerous than they were, and the horny-handed retirees of toil have been lost to Farage.
(Reform also have a confusion between stout yeomen in the red wall and a slightly different subset of pensioners to the Conservatives, but somehow they square that circle. For now, anyway.)
It seems to me that all parties rely on greedy people, of which there are many. Conservatives - greedy old people. Labour - greedy public sector managers and lawyers. Reform - greedy working class people no longer helped by Labour. Greens - greedy metropolitans that don’t want anything spent in rural areas, except to preserve it for wildlife. Lib Dems - greedy homeowners that don’t want the value of their property reduced. SNP and Plaid - greedy Scots and Welsh who don’t want their money to go to England. DUP - greedy Ulster Protestants who don’t want money spent on Catholics. Sinn Fein - greedy Irish Catholics who don’t want money spent on Protestants.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
They aren’t heading for extinction, even on current polls 18 to 20% of voters intend to vote Tory and if we had PR they would still definitely be still electing over 100 Conservative MPs.
Only FPTP puts the Conservatives at risk of fewer than 50 MPs and ultimately being taken over by Reform
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Not true at all (even, and especially, in the case of goodies received before death). You will get a very nasty shock if you become an executor and apply that doctrine.
Also because children don't automatically get the goods.
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
One of the grim paradoxes of our times. The world is richer and more productive than it has ever been. We ought to have more surplus than ever to make life civilised, and yet that isn't happening.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
One of the grim paradoxes of our times. The world is richer and more productive than it has ever been. We ought to have more surplus than ever to make life civilised, and yet that isn't happening.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
Cash, too.
It makes me very twitchy to see how dependent we are forced to become on our mobile phones.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Not true at all (even, and especially, in the case of goodies received before death). You will get a very nasty shock if you become an executor and apply that doctrine.
Also because children don't automatically get the goods.
Yes true and even goodies applied before death are liable for inheritance tax if the parents don’t last seven years.
Inheritance tax is paid by the children NOT the parents ultimately once they are both dead.
Once the parents are both dead in 90% of cases the estate goes to any children
On the topic. Halligan has a piece in Telegraph hugely supporting her and saying she must be allowed to stay the course.
"...the Tories are in a far stronger position than they were a week ago and that’s down to Badenoch. She has shown courage and resilience – and the public is starting to notice."
"One reason is that Badenoch – in by far the best speech of the UK’s entire party conference season – stated firmly and credibly that the Tories under her leadership not only believe in but will deliver sound fiscal management."
Up to a point. SFAICS Kemi said (1) that the borrowing is stealing from our children and grandchildren and (2) that she was going to carry on doing it at undefined levels (3) there would be a major tax cut which applied most to better off people in London and the south east.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
It won’t even benefit rich elderly Edinbuggers unless the Scottish Government abolish LBTT.
Gary has a major problem in padding: his demotic style results in a lot of digressions and unnecessary words. But if you are willing to sit thru it, he makes some good points.
Does anyone cleverer than me (i.e. everyone on PB except one who is currently California dreaming) know who much of our balance of payments deficit is due to payment of dividends to foreign shareholders?
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
One of the grim paradoxes of our times. The world is richer and more productive than it has ever been. We ought to have more surplus than ever to make life civilised, and yet that isn't happening.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
We are all doing much more unpaid work that doesn't count in GDP. Self service - petrol, tills, etc. And also bureaucracy - preventing money laundering, etc. Many hours a week of unpaid work which are not taken into account when calculating productivity improvements.
Tories are fiddling around the edges - same as Labour. And performative "we'll cut the civil service" - because *everyone* knows there's an army of penpushers - without being about to specify whom.
An idea: the Big Picture. Tories say "our national debt is grotesque. It's built over decades, including under our watch. A system which we now need to change. So we're going to make significant cuts"
A starter for 10. Our road network is shagged, the bits we do cost £stupid. Why don't the Tories propose private toll motorways? Easy planning clearance for companies who want to build tolled bypasses of the worst bits. We get new stuff without paying for it, it's pay and play for users.
I posted this early this morning by the Guardian which is profound and thought provoking
The growth of belief in the west that liberal democracy doesn't work any more, and isn't the best system raises issues that may be are not going to go away. I suspect that the effectiveness of China and secret admiration of Trump's contempt for the democratic process all play their part, along with western Europe's well known path of democratic doubt.
In a sense obvious issue is that our system is reasonably OK at asking everyone what they want, but fails when the gap between what people want and what is logically possible (like low tax and brilliant state setrvices) becomes widened by political lying; and more subtly, when the gap between what people want and what a nation state needs get separated, perhaps by social fragmentation.
SFAICS here we are in uncharted territory. Is there any post WWII instance of a mature democracy (UK being an exemplary instance) managing a transition away from it either well or at all? I think not.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Hard to say. The Tories are heading for extinction because of their psychodramas mostly about Europe rather than focusing on what-works policies, and the related rise of Farage.
If they hadn't destroyed themselves with Brexit would they have invented something else? Maybe.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
FWIW I am living in a house* that is way too large for me. I should move and release all that space for a family unit; it would also reduce my annual living costs by close to £10k.
But it would cost me nearly £0.5m in stamp duty to switch for an equivalently nice flat. So, despite it being economically and socially sub-optimal for the country as a whole I stay put. It doesn’t bother me having underutilised residential capacity
* I actually live in about 5 rooms if a house that is way too large for me
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Hard to say. The Tories are heading for extinction because of their psychodramas mostly about Europe rather than focusing on what-works policies, and the related rise of Farage.
If they hadn't destroyed themselves with Brexit would they have invented something else? Maybe.
If they hadn’t destroyed themselves with Brexit the adults would still be in the room. Their main task if they want to recover would be to stop the members electing the leader.
I think that means she was 1.5-3x more popular in the Congress than with the public at least?
Peru's Congress has voted to remove President Dina Boluarte from office, hours after a late-night session was called to debate her impeachment.
One of the world's most unpopular leaders, with an approval rating of 2-4%, Boluarte's tenure has been plagued by frequent protests, scandals and investigations, as well as a surge in gang violence.
A total of 122 out of 130 lawmakers voted for Boluarte's removal early on Friday, following votes resoundingly in favour of four motions of impeachment.
I am utterly convinced that Liz Truss would make a better president than Boluarte.
Even among the annals of Peruvian politics - which specialises in the corruptly incompetent - Dina is considered something really special.
Some observers think that the last vaguely competent high official in Peru was Vladimiro Lenin Ilich Montesinos Torres.
I mean sure, there was the war crimes, the drug smuggling, the attacks on democracy and the democratic opposition aside, he could actually do things. Plus he could steal money without dropping a bag marked “SWAG” in the middle of a public square.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Do you have any stats for "most pensioners do not downsize"? Pretty much every octogenarian I can think of is living in a smaller house than they were when they were in their late fifties. The only exceptions being those who never had children.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
The Tories are more fiscally incontinent than Labour at the moment, although neither are as bad as Reform. Rachel Reeves is at least trying to make the numbers add up. The others aren't bothering, and to be fair they don't need to.
Does anyone cleverer than me (i.e. everyone on PB except one who is currently California dreaming) know who much of our balance of payments deficit is due to payment of dividends to foreign shareholders?
In Q2 the primary income deficit was £16.8bn
UK receipts were £94.9bn; payments to foreign investors were £111.7bn.
Total BoP deficit was £23.8bn
So about 70% of the total deficit was down the to primary income deficit (not strictly the question you asked, but I think the answer you were looking for)
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Do you have any stats for "most pensioners do not downsize"? Pretty much every octogenarian I can think of is living in a smaller house than they were when they were in their late fifties. The only exceptions being those who never had children.
We downsized in our mid fifties. We wish we hadn’t. We wish we had more bedrooms, a utility room, a craft room and a larger study. At least our present home is easier to heat, clean and decorate.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
Interesting that there hasn’t been any suggestion of lengthening the 7 year loophole in IHT. It appears to have been increased three times from 3 to 5 then 7. I can only guess that it was based on life expectancy and was last changed to 7 years in 1969.
Theoretically you would think it justified to further increase the time scale to, say, ten years as life expectancy is much longer now (about ten years longer now) but clearly it would be very unpopular.
Does anyone cleverer than me (i.e. everyone on PB except one who is currently California dreaming) know who much of our balance of payments deficit is due to payment of dividends to foreign shareholders?
In Q2 the primary income deficit was £16.8bn
UK receipts were £94.9bn; payments to foreign investors were £111.7bn.
Total BoP deficit was £23.8bn
So about 70% of the total deficit was down the to primary income deficit (not strictly the question you asked, but I think the answer you were looking for)
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
The Tories are more fiscally incontinent than Labour at the moment, although neither are as bad as Reform. Rachel Reeves is at least trying to make the numbers add up. The others aren't bothering, and to be fair they don't need to.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
This is one of the bigger stories that hasn't perhaps got the coverage it deserves: Reform can't find those big efficiency savings they promised, so are having to push up council tax rates:
The Tories are more fiscally incontinent than Labour at the moment, although neither are as bad as Reform. Rachel Reeves is at least trying to make the numbers add up. The others aren't bothering, and to be fair they don't need to.
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
One of the grim paradoxes of our times. The world is richer and more productive than it has ever been. We ought to have more surplus than ever to make life civilised, and yet that isn't happening.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
Cash, too.
It makes me very twitchy to see how dependent we are forced to become on our mobile phones.
I've done two things: (1) I'm only on LinkedIn (which I dislike but necessary for work) and Facebook (for overseas relatives) and have ditched all other social media and (2) I now have a rule I switch my phone off for 50% of the day, or leave it at home, so it's off from 7pm from 7am for example, so I can read and spend quality time with the family.
Huzzah, I already do this with some Royal Mail, Amazon, and DPD parcels/deliveries/returns.
Why Royal Mail could axe stamps and addresses on letters
Handwritten envelopes may become a thing of the past as the new boss moves to modernise the business
In a world of supercomputers, artificial intelligence and social media, writing a postal address feels something of an anachronism.
Martin Seidenberg says that technology is evolving and that could revolutionise the sending of letters and parcels. Customers are already able to buy postage online, but in future customers may be able to input a recipient’s address and then an alpha-numeric code could be spat out that can be popped on any given letter or parcel.
Will you need to write the address as well? “For now, yes,” responds the boss of Royal Mail’s parent company. He clams up when asked for further details, but it’s too late. Seidenberg has given the game away with the “for now” — but then this is all very early stage thinking.
Already machine readable, usually. Postcode plus street number does the job.
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
We don't often agree, but we do here.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
One of the grim paradoxes of our times. The world is richer and more productive than it has ever been. We ought to have more surplus than ever to make life civilised, and yet that isn't happening.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
If we didn't have smartphones we'd probably have more antisocial behaviour, kids on bikes hanging round skateparks and teenage pregnancy etc.
Nevertheless those difficult aggressive, stupid, exploratory but educational teenage experiences are, on balance, better and I'd tolerate them.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
Yes, that is correct. The Executors are liable for the IHT, and they are entitled to treat payment of IHT as one of the expenses of the administration, to be discharged prior to distributing the estate.
Payment of the tax does not fall due on the beneficiaries.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Do you have any stats for "most pensioners do not downsize"? Pretty much every octogenarian I can think of is living in a smaller house than they were when they were in their late fifties. The only exceptions being those who never had children.
We downsized in our mid fifties. We wish we hadn’t. We wish we had more bedrooms, a utility room, a craft room and a larger study. At least our present home is easier to heat, clean and decorate.
In spite of arguing for downsizing earlier I can understand your point. We should probably, in an ideal world, have downsized twice; once in our early 50’s and then to something like our present bungalow in our mid to late 70’s.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
Yes, that is correct. The Executors are liable for the IHT, and they are entitled to treat payment of IHT as one of the expenses of the administration, to be discharged prior to distributing the estate.
Payment of the tax does not fall due on the beneficiaries.
But I think @HYUFD’s point is that the post tax value of the estate is smaller than it would have otherwise been. Therefore the cost of the tax is borne by those beneficiaries with a remainder interest (vs a fixed bequest)
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Not true at all (even, and especially, in the case of goodies received before death). You will get a very nasty shock if you become an executor and apply that doctrine.
Also because children don't automatically get the goods.
Yes true and even goodies applied before death are liable for inheritance tax if the parents don’t last seven years.
Inheritance tax is paid by the children NOT the parents ultimately once they are both dead.
Once the parents are both dead in 90% of cases the estate goes to any children
Gifting your home to your children doesn’t work either. HMRC class it as a gift with reservation, and the local authority will class it as deliberate deprivation of assets so it won’t even be protected from care costs.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Do you have any stats for "most pensioners do not downsize"? Pretty much every octogenarian I can think of is living in a smaller house than they were when they were in their late fifties. The only exceptions being those who never had children.
We downsized in our mid fifties. We wish we hadn’t. We wish we had more bedrooms, a utility room, a craft room and a larger study. At least our present home is easier to heat, clean and decorate.
In spite of arguing for downsizing earlier I can understand your point. We should probably, in an ideal world, have downsized twice; once in our early 50’s and then to something like our present bungalow in our mid to late 70’s.
When we downsized we were still working. Now we have retired, we have time for more hobbies. We didn’t think of that when we downsized.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
Yes, that is correct. The Executors are liable for the IHT, and they are entitled to treat payment of IHT as one of the expenses of the administration, to be discharged prior to distributing the estate.
Payment of the tax does not fall due on the beneficiaries.
The vast majority of the benefit of the inheritance of the post IHT estate does not go to the executors however, they just process IHT payment
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Do you have any stats for "most pensioners do not downsize"? Pretty much every octogenarian I can think of is living in a smaller house than they were when they were in their late fifties. The only exceptions being those who never had children.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Hard to say. The Tories are heading for extinction because of their psychodramas mostly about Europe rather than focusing on what-works policies, and the related rise of Farage.
If they hadn't destroyed themselves with Brexit would they have invented something else? Maybe.
If they hadn’t destroyed themselves with Brexit the adults would still be in the room. Their main task if they want to recover would be to stop the members electing the leader.
Cameron and Boris were both elected by party members, both the only election majority winners this century for the party
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Which is why as I pointed out in the first post of this thread - the Tories are headed for extinction... Since 2016 they've ignored their core vote to deliver Brexit regardless of everything else..
The reason the Tories are heading for extinction has nothing to do with Brexit imo.
Hard to say. The Tories are heading for extinction because of their psychodramas mostly about Europe rather than focusing on what-works policies, and the related rise of Farage.
If they hadn't destroyed themselves with Brexit would they have invented something else? Maybe.
It wasn't Brexit which destroyed them, it was removing Boris before the last GE.
Even when Boris resigned as PM the Conservatives were polling 30% and ReformUK were polling at less than 5% in the polls
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Not true at all (even, and especially, in the case of goodies received before death). You will get a very nasty shock if you become an executor and apply that doctrine.
Also because children don't automatically get the goods.
Yes true and even goodies applied before death are liable for inheritance tax if the parents don’t last seven years.
Inheritance tax is paid by the children NOT the parents ultimately once they are both dead.
Once the parents are both dead in 90% of cases the estate goes to any children
Gifting your home to your children doesn’t work either. HMRC class it as a gift with reservation, and the local authority will class it as deliberate deprivation of assets so it won’t even be protected from care costs.
My father has cunningly gotten around this problem by not having any assets, good man.
In May 2026, if the Tories get pummelled, but Labour gets eviscerated, will that give Kemi more breathing space?
The issue in May is how the Conservatives do against Reform. If there is some evidence that Reform is stalling against the Tories but making headway still against Labour, the Conservative Party should give her another year.
How would you identify that - reality is the Tories are going to lose a pile of seats (most of them) and reform are going to win a whole lot of councils..
The only upside is that our local elections are in 2027 by which time it should be obvious that Reforms local authority management isn't exactly improving things elsewhere,
London has all out elections next year most of England doesn't. Reform do worst in London and the Stamp Duty cut will go down well there.
Scotland and Wales have elections too but while Reform will do well in Wales they are unlikely to do as well in Scotland
Yes, the problem is these are local council elections and the last time I looked it wasn't Newham or Bromley or Richmond Councils who set the stamp duty rate. There's also the other small problem a) Labour might shoot the Conservatie fox and abolish Stamp Duty themselves and b) even if they don't, the implementation of the Stamp Duty abolition might not be until 2029 so why should people vote for a party promising something they have no power to enact for another three years?
Spurious logic at best.
Worth remembering you can still get a starter property in parts of London for under £300k which is the threshold for the levying of stamp duty on purchases for first time buyers. For example, there are one bedroom flats in East Ham and Beckton available for £200-£250k (10 years ago, they were barely £100k which tells you a lot).
I'd also add a lot of first time buyers in London are looking for rental property and anecdotally I think we are seeing some demographic and ethnic changes in my part of the world as a result of the new developments of leasehold flats going up in Barking and Ilford.
Just a question about the Badenoch proposal - is it only on the purchase of primary residences? I assume so but of course that won't stop those wishing to accumulate property buying them in the name of relatives etc.
Labour are of course whacking up taxes further in their Budget this autumn not cutting them. East Ham and Barking never elect Tory councillors anyway, it is voters in areas like Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet, Richmond upon Thames Kemi will have targeted with her Stamp Duty cut and yes it is focused on primary residences
Why do you only ever look at policies for their political benefit, rather than what’s good for the country? Maybe that’s part of our national malaise.
Any party which ignores its own core vote and does not put its people first is doomed to extinction
Agreed. But you also need to attract new voters and expand your core. Especially with an otherwise ageing membership.,..
Stamp duty cutting is a policy targeted at first time buyers and second time buyers especially in London and the South, not pensioners
Read the speech again. Bit odd in that if they downsize they will have more than enough to pay the tax - but it messes with message.
"Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax."
Most pensioners don't want to downsize though and as you say if they do they will have enough to pay for it.
As I said it was targeted at first time and second time buyers in London and the South
As a pensioner who downsized I'm not sure you're right. Many of us recognise that the house in which we brought up our family is too big 'now'.
We downsized twice. 4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001 to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011 releasing equity for the kids both times. No regrets at all.
HYUFD is basically admitting it's a pamper-the-rich-southern-elderly strategy, though. Which it is, whatever other benefits it has.
No it is not. As I said most pensioners do not downsize, certainly unless widowed or widower or for equity release. As has also been pointed out if you downsize you will buy a cheaper smaller property so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway.
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
"so can easily afford Stamp Duty anyway"
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
It is their children who ultimately pay IHT not them
Where on earth did you get that idea
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
Yes, that is correct. The Executors are liable for the IHT, and they are entitled to treat payment of IHT as one of the expenses of the administration, to be discharged prior to distributing the estate.
Payment of the tax does not fall due on the beneficiaries.
The vast majority of the benefit of the inheritance of the post IHT estate does not go to the executors however, they just process IHT payment
I just cooked thyme and garlic roast pork belly with carrot and parnsip batons, parmesan coated roast potatoes, cabbage peas and bacon lardons, home-made apple sauce and red wine jus.
I have to say. It didn't last long. And it was rather good.
Comments
Peru's Congress has voted to remove President Dina Boluarte from office, hours after a late-night session was called to debate her impeachment.
One of the world's most unpopular leaders, with an approval rating of 2-4%, Boluarte's tenure has been plagued by frequent protests, scandals and investigations, as well as a surge in gang violence.
A total of 122 out of 130 lawmakers voted for Boluarte's removal early on Friday, following votes resoundingly in favour of four motions of impeachment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1edw3x6vl2o
@AGPamBondi
is creating a registry of gun owners.
https://x.com/GunOwners/status/1975679410016551018
In slightly better theory, the biggest wins will go to those buying crazy-expensive houses, because of the way stamp duty is structured.
In accurate theory, as long as the going rate for a house is "every penny you can possibly scrape together", the benefit will go to the seller, not the buyer, becuase they will be able to demand a higher selling price.
In practice, the main beneficary of this announcement is Kemi Badenoch, who has bought herself some good headlines at a critical time. And as long as she doesn't have to turn the announcement into policy, it's not really cost her anything. Put like that, it's a bargain.
Opinium:
Starmer's speech
Good 23%
Bad 34%
Don't know 43%
Badenoch's speech
Good 33%
Bad 18%
Don't know 49%
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15184827/Badenoch-bounce-Kemi-sees-poll-ratings-surge-rewarded-bold-Tory-conference-vow-stamp-duty.html
Right now it's leading to higher inflation and interest rates than we'd otherwise have, quite aside from the eye-watering deficit.
The Conservatives are suffering what so many Western centre-right parties are suffering. It's very hard to keep the votes of those whose priorities are, on the one hand, the free movement of capital and people, and keeping the great unwashed at bay; at the same time as keeping the votes of those whose priorities are sovereignty, immigration control, and tradition.
If the Conservatives had spent the 2000's steadily opposing Brexit, they would have been eclipsed on the right, before now.
There will be a lot like me who could well take our seats back with the anti-Tory vote split between LD and Reform.
Nigel Farage is very like Tim Farron, just like Farron his supporters see him as the Messiah, but in reality they are both just naughty boys.
In the counterfactual that there was a vote to Remain in 2016 it would have continued to double-down on its pensioner voting base, and been in confusion as its voting coalition moved around it as high immigration continued and values continued to shift.
I expect labour to adopt it sometime in the next few years and the cost of 4.5 billion is small beer when it comes to labour spending
Possibly because the principles of free movement of capital and people were at levels such that they didn't cause political problems.
'We need to ensure those types of Tories prevail'
Piss off.
There's nearly 4 years to go and so much can change.
I have up caring about them a decade ago.
Tories (of all stripes) are very apt to get cosy and comfy when they get their feet under the table. Yes, the new Government will need their administrative experience - but I am not sure they should be taking the lead with Reform doing backing vocals. I think I'd like a 60 to 40 Reform vs. Tory split in the Government, for preference.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/12/chatgpt-ed-into-bed-chatfishing-on-dating-apps
Yet another enshittification to make life more miserable for many old, ill, poor, or incapacitated people, if it's anything like compulsory. How many people have printers that do sticky labels?
Like it seems to cost more to post from a post office than online already.
And at the receiving end, how does one know if one has the right post, and what neighbour to give it to when misdelivered?
Loss of a key redundancy (in the positive sense of back-up) in the system.
If and when they start down that track it will get messy. Similar issue if and when they form a government.
4000 sq ft 6 bedrooms
to 2000 sq ft 4 bedrooms (which we built) in 2001
to 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom mansion flat in 2011
releasing equity for the kids both times.
No regrets at all.
Hi welcome all by the way!
Nope the benefit of Stamp Duty being abolished goes almost entirely to first time young buyers or second time middle aged buyers, especially in London and the South
Labour is the next government (70%+), Starmer is still PM (70%+), Starmer steps down during the next parliament (70%+), Rayner takes over for a fresh start (30%+) That's about 10/1
Tories are the next government (5% Betfair), Badenoch is still leader (20% Betfair). That's about 100/1.
Of course it's self serving. I don't mind a one nation Tory Government, but I don't want racist national socialist Tories ruining my country. My vote is the same value as yours.
"...the Tories are in a far stronger position than they were a week ago and that’s down to Badenoch. She has shown courage and resilience – and the public is starting to notice."
"One reason is that Badenoch – in by far the best speech of the UK’s entire party conference season – stated firmly and credibly that the Tories under her leadership not only believe in but will deliver sound fiscal management."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/12/badenochs-tories-standing-fiscal-reality-and-rightly-so
The Telegraph have now disclosed that the Chinese super embassy has, at the behest of the Government, been put through a public process (why is a public process even a thing for diplomatic buildings?), which means the intelligence services have not been able to give evidence listing their concerns, because their evidence would have to be made public.
The Chinese have also been holding up repairs to the UK embassy in Beijing, which apparently frequently has its water cut off, until the Government approves their super-embassy.
I hope I am not prone to breathless predictions here, but I have always doubted that Sir Security Risk would go the distance, and this feels like it has the potential to bring down the Government.
We need more humanity and human interaction, not more smartphones and AI.
*Where the boundaries haven't changed.
Ditto with IHT. But do they want to pay either? Oh no.
And they still benefit, because the deletion of stamp duty inflates their house prices still more. Consistent Tory policy innit. Actually, come to think of it one must admire the Tories' consistency over decades - though not the result.
Whilst history and logistics say that Labour are more likely to do that than the Conservatives, are they really that likely?
(It's also a bet that, somehow, Farage collapses or runs away. Hands up, I'm expecting that, but it's not obvious that KB will be a sufficient beneficiary.)
Only FPTP puts the Conservatives at risk of fewer than 50 MPs and ultimately being taken over by Reform
And if one is handwriting one may as well use the existing postcode and address system - the number and postcode usually does the job and the name and address act as backup.
https://makevotesmatter.org.uk/
This has supporters from all parties.
Conservatives - greedy old people.
Labour - greedy public sector managers and lawyers.
Reform - greedy working class people no longer helped by Labour.
Greens - greedy metropolitans that don’t want anything spent in rural areas, except to preserve it for wildlife.
Lib Dems - greedy homeowners that don’t want the value of their property reduced.
SNP and Plaid - greedy Scots and Welsh who don’t want their money to go to England.
DUP - greedy Ulster Protestants who don’t want money spent on Catholics.
Sinn Fein - greedy Irish Catholics who don’t want money spent on Protestants.
Also because children don't automatically get the goods.
(My suspicions are that the culprits are absurdly early retirees and squillionaires hoarding numbers, but they are just suspicions.)
See also the conversation here about using AI to fiddle online dating.
It makes me very twitchy to see how dependent we are forced to become on our mobile phones.
Inheritance tax is paid by the children NOT the parents ultimately once they are both dead.
Once the parents are both dead in 90% of cases the estate goes to any children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7ulJrZa8n4 (37 mins)
Gary has a major problem in padding: his demotic style results in a lot of digressions and unnecessary words. But if you are willing to sit thru it, he makes some good points.
*coherent for them
Self service - petrol, tills, etc.
And also bureaucracy - preventing money laundering, etc.
Many hours a week of unpaid work which are not taken into account when calculating productivity improvements.
In a sense obvious issue is that our system is reasonably OK at asking everyone what they want, but fails when the gap between what people want and what is logically possible (like low tax and brilliant state setrvices) becomes widened by political lying; and more subtly, when the gap between what people want and what a nation state needs get separated, perhaps by social fragmentation.
SFAICS here we are in uncharted territory. Is there any post WWII instance of a mature democracy (UK being an exemplary instance) managing a transition away from it either well or at all? I think not.
If they hadn't destroyed themselves with Brexit would they have invented something else? Maybe.
But it would cost me nearly £0.5m in stamp duty to switch for an equivalently nice flat. So, despite it being economically and socially sub-optimal for the country as a whole I stay put. It doesn’t bother me having underutilised residential capacity
* I actually live in about 5 rooms if a house that is way too large for me
Even among the annals of Peruvian politics - which specialises in the corruptly incompetent - Dina is considered something really special.
Some observers think that the last vaguely competent high official in Peru was Vladimiro Lenin Ilich Montesinos Torres.
I mean sure, there was the war crimes, the drug smuggling, the attacks on democracy and the democratic opposition aside, he could actually do things. Plus he could steal money without dropping a bag marked “SWAG” in the middle of a public square.
It is the executor of the deceased that pays IHT not the children though they may be beneficiaries of the will
UK receipts were £94.9bn; payments to foreign investors were £111.7bn.
Total BoP deficit was £23.8bn
So about 70% of the total deficit was down the to primary income deficit (not strictly the question you asked, but I think the answer you were looking for)
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/bulletins/balanceofpayments/apriltojune2025
Theoretically you would think it justified to further increase the time scale to, say, ten years as life expectancy is much longer now (about ten years longer now) but clearly it would be very unpopular.
I can't say I'm missing much.
Nevertheless those difficult aggressive, stupid, exploratory but educational teenage experiences are, on balance, better and I'd tolerate them.
Payment of the tax does not fall due on the beneficiaries.
Who actually “pays” the tax is a process question
Even when Boris resigned as PM the Conservatives were polling 30% and ReformUK were polling at less than 5% in the polls
I have to say. It didn't last long. And it was rather good.