Liberal Democrats

Brilliant speech

youtu.be/0GMTNc1LIUM

If landlords en masse started selling their properties, then prices would presumably go down and more people could afford to purchase.

That would hit those of us with our own homes - and particularly people with mortgages who had paid peak price for their properties, as did my son and his partner.

However, the housing market has been careering out of control for several years and perhaps such a measure would cool it down. There should be more emphasis on "homes" rather than "investments" and anything that discourages the proliferation of greedy and negligent landlords is, I think, welcome (and I'm not saying all landlords are greedy and negligent but there appears to be a sizable number who are).

If people cant afford the very low priced properties now ,why do you think landlords releasing a huge number more will help the market? I have tenants who have no interest in owning a property,they are happy to pay thier rent and have all repairs ,decoration,new flooring ,a stunning new bathroom for one couple or an upgrade to a bigger property WHEN THEY want it .No saving ,or scrimping, a set rent that hasn't been raised for 8 years and they dont want to have it any other way .There are a lot more just like them,why do some believe EVERYONE must own a home? Surely secure tenancies are just as acceptible?

paddyann You may well be an exceptionally good landlord, and there are, of course, some dreadful tenants. However, from the few younger people I know who are renting, or who have at some time rented, including my own children, there seem to be a significant number of landlords who are greedy and unwilling to maintain their properties or make arrangements to repair vital services.

If the market was suddenly flooded with the properties of disgruntled landlords, then prices would be certain to fall. As I say, that would be bad news for some but better news for all the people who just cannot keep pace with continually rising prices.

No doubt some people are happy to rent but my feeling is that the vast majority of people would prefer to contribute a large sum of money towards buying their own home rather than pay for the homes of landlords.

I don't know where you live but in many areas of England - even quite deprived ones - rising rents are placing extreme pressure on tenants. I think you would be very hard pushed in the south east of England to find a decent property to rent at a realistic rent, with no rent rises for 8 years.

Those who, out of preference, do not wish to buy , that is up to them. For those who rent out of necessity, social housing should be vastly increased. Also, I think we should get rid of right to buy - or at least drastically adjust the terms of eligibility and reduce the discounts. Even if the proceeds of selling social housing are invested back, I do not believe that would be sufficient to rectify the problem.

I accept that not everybody wants to own their own home - though I still say, in this country at least, most people do. However, for families who don't know from one year to the next whether they will be able to afford yet another rent rise or who, if they ask that issues such as damp and faulty heating be attended to, are kicked out at the end of their year's tenancy the idea of as home of their own or a secure and affordable private or council tenancy would be like a dream come true.

right to buy was abolished in Scotland a couple of years ago,We've built 68.000 new affordable homes in the past few years ,many are housing association but a lot are council housing .

Scottish councils are given the budget they MUST spend on housing and if they dont build those houses the money is taken back off them and given to a council who WILL use it for the purpose intended
Renting has never been a situation thats looked down on in Scotland it was the norm for many /most for a very long time .
Long term secure tenancies from either councils or private landlords are far more attractive to a lot of young people I know than tying a variable rate mortgage round their necks for the next 25 years or more.

When I got married 44 years ago we were allocated a brand new 2 bedroom and boxroom house with garden and garage and heating included in the rent .There are still people who live in those houses who moved in at the same time as us.Like in a lot of continental european countries people are happy to rent and there should be no reason why thats seen as a second class choice .Council housing ISN'T subsidised housing ,it should pay its way and be a security for council borrowing .If its not working as it should thats down to bad management

I agree paddyann but it sounds as if the situation in Scotland is very different from that in England. Here the issue is not whether people choose to rent or buy - and I don't think anyone looks down on people who rent - but that many people have no choice because of the huge increase in property prices (where I live, the average selling price is 11xaverage salary.

Re the Lib Dem’s & Brexit.

- Lord Ashdown’s words on the day of the 2016 referendum, observing that he was the first leading politician to call for a referendum on EU membership, he added: “I will forgive no one who does not accept the sovereign voice of the British people once it is spoken, whether it be by one per cent or 20 per cent.”

I could not agree more sir.

Urmstongran Tue 17-Sep-19 22:04:53. Agree Well Said

Paddy was a great man but he was very impatient.

What he said immediately after the referendum result he might not have said a short while later when it was proven beyond doubt that this was a fraudulent referendum, won by lies, cheating and foreign interference,

He might not have said ? No one will know

I haven't seen an "affordable" home yet that is what I would see as truly affordable.

"Jo Swinson’s policy has, if nothing else, achieved two things. It has introduced a measure of clarity to our politics that many have been craving, when so many of our politicians still cling to what the late Sir Geoffrey Howe called in his resignation speech the endless search for separating words from meaning. And it has given committed Remainers a clear political home."

CityAM

www.cityam.com/the-lib-dem-article-50-gamble-is-so-radical-it-might-just-work/

Totally agree newnanny, Jo Swinson is a disgrace.
Her whole campaign now centres around revoking article 50, she seems to be ignoring the fact that quite a few of her own party are in favour of leaving the EU.
What an extreme woman she is - power at any cost! comes to mind. I am so disappointed with her.
What a bunch of dictators our party leaders are becoming.

LibDem Party policy is not decided by the leader but by ordinar members, the overwhelming majority approve the policy. It is true that a small number of LibDems did vote leave in 2016 (It was a smaller % than in any other party). Many of these have now changed their minds.

It looks pretty certain that the next general election will be before any new referendum and will therefore be totally dominated by the issues of brexit. Everyone will be quite clear on the stance of the LibDems as the strongest party of Remain and vote accordingly.

I think it is an entirely reasonable course for the LDs to take, in a GE. Just as it is a reasonable course for the Brexit Party PLC to say, in their manifesto that they would take us out.

Latest YouGov Westminster voting intention tracker

"If there were a general election held tomorrow, which party would you vote for? %"

Con 32% LibDem 23% Labour 21% Brex 14% Other 6% Green 4% Ukip 1%

Liberal Democrats overtake Labour!

This poll was taken on 17th and 18th September so it looks as if the Liberal Democrat policy on brexit is proving popular.

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/09/19/political-trackers-17-18-sept-update

Don't get too excited Varian, there is always a bounce after a conference. LDs have their bounce, LP yet to have their conference

A new wave of liberal populism is ripping through Remainia, and Jo Swinson has decided that her party should ride it.

I know you are right GGMK3. The reason for "conference bounce" is of course related to the greater amount of publicity at that time. The Liberal Democrats have always suffered from being marginalised in the media.

The right wing press never mentions the party unless it can find some sort of negative angle to report and there are other newspapers which will always support Labour.

We also have much less funding as we have never had the wealthy donors that fund the Tories or the Unions which support Labour.

In addition it is extrordinarly difficult for a party whose support is widespread both demographically and geographically to take seats from parties which only promote the interests of people in concentrated areas.

However the next election is likely to be held in exceptional circumstances, so we can only hope that voters will look at the two broken parties with their dreadful leaders and decide to depart from their usual habit and this time vote for the genuine good of the whole country.

So many people want brexit to be over and allowing it to happen, in any form, would not be the end of it but only the beginning. Vote LibDem and Stop Brexit

These are the people with the most influence on our politics

There is more to politics than Brexit.
Considering her voting record and the Tories I wouldn't expect much. Two worst leaders the dreadful Swinson liar and Johnson

It's ok we all choose who to vote for.

There is far more to politics than brexit. It has got in the way of all the more important things for the last three and a half years and needs to be stopped.

Jo Swinson has only been LD leader for a short time. She was elected by members after a very good natured contest with Ed Davey, who is now the shadow chancellor and deputy leader. They have made a great start and have certainly not told any lies, unlike BJ who is a habitual liar and has been sacked for lying more than once.

I take it, Grany that you are a supporter either of Farage or Corbyn, the extremists of right and left . Little to chose between them.

Varian.

I think people on GN who unfairly say Mr Corbyn is weak don't see the full picture. He has been attacked by right wing billionaire press for four years. An independent research has found that he is unfairly portrayed in MSM nearly all of the time so not given an equal chance Also there are other sources too, paid online trolls, excetra You have to think to yourself why? He would upset the status quo the neoliberalism the establishment. Jeremy Corbyn was once asked how do you cope with the stress of constantly coming under attack?
He said it is the poor those on zero hours contract those in work poverty, on poverty wages the children hungry, food banks that's what real stress is. (The press would be properly regulated, as they are not a trusted source of news, Impliment Leveson) He can't be bought, how refreshing Is that? Unlike some polititions I could mention, naming no names.

Mr Corbyn is out meeting people talking to them finding out what's needed. Rallies up and down the country. He was awarded two peace prizes you don't get that be sitting around doing nothing.

That's why thousands of younger people have joined and campaign for a Labour government because they can see through the MSM lies and are not fooled. The Labour party is a socialist Democratic Party they have a transformative manifesto that is fully costed properly thought out.

I back Labour I don't want to keep on about it but got to speak out about this.

Here is

The World Transformed. theworldtransformed.org/
Four days of politics arts and music festival running alongside the Labour Conference at Brighton

The Lib Dems’ projected vote proportion in an Ipsos MORI poll is 23%. with the Tories leading on 33%. and Labour in second place on 24%.