Empty rhetoric on easing council borrowing restrictions will not produce any Council houses.

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2017-latest-housing-council-homes-building-hammond-boost-numbers-a8061551.html

Hammond set to announce badly needed boost to council housebuilding

In next week's Budget, Chancellor Hammond will propose "lifting the strict borrowing caps imposed on local authorities", in order to boost council house building. Empty rhetoric from a bankrupt government, devoid of any intention of actually getting to grips with the nationwide housing crisis, but seeking some headlines with soundbite and spin. The Hammond "initiative" pre supposes that those councils actually allowed to "borrow money" will take up the privilege and moreover will allocate the "new money" to the provision of social house building.

The historic evidence of easing restrictions on Council borrowing, tells us that such councils invariably resort to projects which are most likely to increase council balances in the short to medium term and are usually concerned with building offices and hotels rather that housing. Where any houses might be built, they are usually for "low cost, affordable homes", which are of low cost and affordable only to the first purchaser, and are quickly absorbed into the inflated "housing market". In any case, even these houses are of such miniscule numbers as to be totally insignificant to the overall numbers required.

As usual the government pays lip service to a problem, then proceeds to produce feckless phrases and words which they champion as the panacea to the crisis.The solution to the housing crisis, requires the building of homes on a scale not seen since the end of the Second World War. 

A few throw away lines and empty suggestions from the Chancellor, who even as he utters them are known by everyone to be no more than a gesture and meaningless inanity, is not the solution to this 21st Century scandal.   

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Northern Ireland and Brexit. The return of "The Troubles"

Northern Ireland: police attacked in another night of disturbances | Northern Ireland | The Guardian When the "Brexit" debate was still filling our newspapers and our television screens, readers may remember why I had changed my mind since voting to leave at the referendum vote. Apart from the economic arguments, which had become crystal clear after peeling away all the lies and misrepresentations trotted out by Bozo Boris and his "Get Brexit Done" conspirators, there was always the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Would it be possible to have a border between the European Union and the United Kingdom where people, goods and services could pass freely between the two nations without customs restrictions, tariffs, duties and all the other formalities? Would it be possible to have one part of the United Kingdom treated differently from other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly when Scotland for example had voted overwhe

Plemont development or return to nature?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey- A date has been set for a public inquiry into plans for Plemont Headland. This exceptional location must be sold to the National trust for Jersey, and returned to nature. Any other outcome involving development of the site, can only demonstrate the extent to which greed and self interest have become endemic in Jersey.

The Parliamentary Labour Party conspirators are hatching another coup.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/corbyn-labour-leadership-rebel-mps-a7202641.html Labour MPs plan for Corbyn victory and plot how to confront an emboldened leader Even for the "Independent", the number and use of unnamed anonymous "sources" in this article is quite astonishing. However, amongst all the usual speculative delusion, there is one factor which causes concern to anyone who believes in the Labour Party, its principles and in he democratic process of the Labour movement. It is abundantly clear that elements within the Parliamentary Labour Party, are even now, planning another coup in the event that Jeremy Corbyn should emerge as winner in the current ballot. The failed coup of earlier this year, has now descended into a sham leadership election, because the conspirators still fail to accept the democratic decision of the Labour party membership and cling to

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