Chancellor's autumn statement 2015

OBR spokesman said there was a 50% chance of it being right!

Toss a coin. Good basis for economic policies, I don't think.
I thought the Tories could be trusted on the economy.

When watching the BBC news, I noticed they were in Knutsford watching builders build new houses, so I looked on Rightmove. There's only one new house on there in Knutsford. Its a Passivhaus, for over three and as half million pounds.

Eight hundred planned for my village, half of which are already built!

Then you think there is no problem for housing for the low paid rosesarered?

Call it a living wage but doesn't make it so, call an ant a horse, doesn't turn the ant into a horse

I do think there has been a problem with housing for the low paid, especially around the South East where all housing,( even a small terraced house can cost a fortune) I think there has been a problem for a long time, it certainly is not a recent thing.I have to wonder why, when Labour were in power for so long, and it was the 'good times' they did not build a great deal of council houses.That would have helped.

I guess you do not live in Knutsford, roses, or anywhere near there. None of the houses for sale in Knutsford will be affordable, even with a 20% discount, which, by the way, tax payers will pay.
Anyway, the houses announced are new houses, not the ones being built in your village.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/11/25/georges-fatal-flaws/

And why they carried on with the 'right to buy' policy when they were in power is a mystery to me when they'd been decrying it ever since it was introduced.

Don't you think it's time to stop blaming Labour for everything now, roses, and move on? Osborne has been chancellor for over five years now.
During those five years Labour councils have had to carry on selling council houses at discounts, but not be allowed to spend the money on new houses.

Knutsford's a very posh town. Only rich people (such as footballers) live there!

So why didn't Blair discontinue the 'right to buy' policy, durhamjen?

"George Osborne’s first act as Chancellor in 2010 was to slash housing investment by 60%, and his plans today could still mean 40% less to build the homes we need compared to the investment programme he inherited from Labour."
Just to save you looking back a page.

Yes, Ana, nearly lived there once myself. Footballers do need people to clean for them, etc.

No, I don't think it's time to stop blaming Labour, five years is no time at all!
the fact is, they were in power for yonks, the economy was booming and they did nothing to expand the stock of council houses or affordable housing, and as Ana says, they carried on with the policy of selling off the right to buy houses.In order to understand the present we need to understand the history, and Labour could have done so much to help the housing crisis and did not.

The idea of taxing second homes and buy to lets was one of Ed Miliband's before the last election.

There will be a housing boom, it is already under way here in the south east, as everyone on Gransnet who lives in the region will know.The most houses will be built here because that's where the jobs are.

History goes back before Blair, in fact right back to Thatcher selling off council houses and not letting the councils build new ones.
Remind me, she wasn't Labour, was she?

Thank you rosesarered. If we choose to lay blame on previous governments then we have to say the Thatcher government, selling social housing has caused a housing nightmare .

Always was a housing boom in the south east. Never been a problem there, apart from people being able to afford them.

I noticed he mentioned employment going up everywhere, including the northern powerhouse. In fact, the north east was the only area where unemployment rose. Obviously it's not included in the northern powerhouse.

800 hundred houses for sale in your area rosesarered ? Must be high employment and above average wages

I agree with you, but continue to wonder, after Blair got in, why they did not reverse that policy, and why they did not embark on a council house building spree. it would have been the logical thing to do.

As I asked previously roses. Ignored, as usual because there is no logical answer!

800 houses being built, half already built in my village alone.Other houses of course, also for sale.I expect they will all be snapped up, some expensive some very expensive, and some ( for here) low cost.Yes, very high employment here, but salaries/ wages, depends on the job and your qualifications, like anywhere else.

Well whatever you want to call the living wage it cannot be forgotten that the Labour Party said they would raise the minimum wage to £8an hour and the SNP wanted £8.50 an hour The Conservatives have now set in place £9 an hour. Or am I wrong?

I am repeating what I posted on the other thread

Good statement from Osborne, very poor response by McDonnell.

I was fascinated watching the Labour benches, at least they didn't all skidaddle and leave him sitting on his own like they did Corbyn the other day.

When McDonnell pulled out 'The Red Book' and quoted chairman Mao I thought some of them looked on in utter despair. It was another classic.

McDonnell tried to pass it off as a joke, not, if it was then his face would not have been so fixed and he most certainly would not have literally thrown his copy of The Red Book across the table at Osborne. What was he thinking, he gave Osborne the opportunity to make him look infantile and remind everybody about his 'political persuasion' that so many on his side and those who think he is a genius try and refute, indeed put down anybody who dares to mention the big 'C' word.

Answer came there none....

I seem to remember we have all had this conversation before, last year, about housing, so we are going over old ground really.

POGS you can't repeat it too often for me!