Oh God spare me the lying Prime Minister

So far today he's told us building more homes isn't the answer, but that he's going to build 300,000 new homes anyway

At a rate of about 6,000 last year, is he hoping to stay in power for another 50 years?

He'd better get his hod out.

And he's off to a good start!!
He just laid a brick ? ?

I didn’t hear his speech. What was he saying about olive oil and bananas?

MayBee70

I didn’t hear his speech. What was he saying about olive oil and bananas?

Goodness knows- it all sounded bananas (and he has a history of talking about bananas).

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-johnson-reset-speech_uk_62a21cd0e4b06594c1c5a2fb

I must be stupid or something but the rising cost of living is affecting everyone especially those on low incomes and benefits. Exactly how is anyone on benefits going to be able to afford a mortgage if people have to choose between heating and food or going without food so their children can eat? Is this me being stupid?

I suspect mortgage lenders will agree with you Elaine. Crackpot idea.

Is this me being stupid?
No, it's not you, it's him

There are working people who have been renting for years.
Its about time something was done about compelling mortgage providers to take into account the rent paid by such people in determining their income. In many cases the monthly rent comes to far more than the cost of a mortgage. People in thig group have paid their rent flawlessly and built up an excellent record. Yet they may be unable to get a mortgage because they dont have a bank of mum and dad to sub them out with a deposit.

Imagine how you cheated and angry you would feel if you were in this group and saw mortgages being given to people on benefit. You might well ask why people were being allowed to buy while supported by the taxpayer.

Here is the Blackpool speech if you can bear to read what, at times, sounds like the rambling word salad of a madman.

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-housing-speech-9-june-2022

Here is the bit about Turkish olive oil and bananas:

… this is a Government that is firmly on your side. We are on the side of British farmers. We need to grow and eat more of our own food in this country and it is sensible to protect British agriculture from cut price or substandard food from overseas but we are also on the side of British consumers.

We do not grow many olives in this country that I’m aware of. Why do we have a tariff of 93p per kilo on Turkish olive oil?

Why do we have a tariff on bananas? This is a truly amazing and versatile country, but as far as I know we don’t grow many bananas, not even in Blackpool.

As for bananas, the UK imports the fruit from many different countries so I don’t know what, if any, trade deals have been negotiated.

But there is information about Turkish olive oil. This source titled UK Olive Oil Market in 2020 and Turkish Olive Oil in the UK explains:

foodnomy.com/uk-olive-oil-market-and-turkish-olive-oil-import-report/

Now, with the current EU trade agreement, Turkish olive oil is subjected to import duty that is 93p per kg and import quota is one hundred tonnes per year.

We hope the UK and Turkey agree on a free trade deal by the end of 2020 and this free trade agreement – FTA – enables high quality Turkish olive oil to enter to the British market and such other products and brands as well.

So what is Johnson asking? It sounds like he’s asking why his own government still has the same trade tariff that applied when the UK was part of the EU. If he’s right, whose fault would that be?

PS. On the claim about sub-standard food from overseas - who is it who had delayed import checks on fresh food for the fourth time? That would be Jacob Rees Mogg, Johnson's Minister for Brexit Opportunities.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/28/jacob-rees-mogg-delay-post-brexit-eu-fresh-food-checks-fourth-time

Why do we have a tariff on bananas? This is a truly amazing and versatile country, but as far as I know we don’t grow many bananas, not even in Blackpool.

he's lost me.

As for tariffs on bananas, they are a relatively cheap food because supermarkets often sell them as a loss leader.

I’ve been reading about banana imports - as you do!

The UK imports around $600m of bananas each year (2020 numbers) mostly from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Belize. As of 5 May 2022 the UK has only fully ratified post-Brexit trade agreements with Costa Rica and Ecuador. There is currently a bridging mechanism with Colombia and only a provisional application for the Dominican Republic and Belize both part of the CARIFORUM trade bloc.

So again, as with Turkish olive oil, any tariffs are what the UK government has agreed to or is still negotiating.

On a statistical note, “Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech on housing” was approx 5300 words long only 2000 of which were about housing. The full fact checkers will have a field day with the claims made.

Since the Tories came to power we have has no less than six Secretaries of State responsible for housing under various rejigged departmental titles and eleven Ministers of State for Housing. No wonder housing policy is a mess.

biglouis

There are working people who have been renting for years.
Its about time something was done about compelling mortgage providers to take into account the rent paid by such people in determining their income. In many cases the monthly rent comes to far more than the cost of a mortgage. People in thig group have paid their rent flawlessly and built up an excellent record. Yet they may be unable to get a mortgage because they dont have a bank of mum and dad to sub them out with a deposit.

Imagine how you cheated and angry you would feel if you were in this group and saw mortgages being given to people on benefit. You might well ask why people were being allowed to buy while supported by the taxpayer.

If you don’t have a deposit you will need at least a 100% mortgage, maybe more to cover all the costs of moving. Which means that negative equity is a very real danger for both borrower and lender. Borrowers may be happy to gamble on house prices continuing to increase, especially when they don’t have a financial stake, but you can’t expect lenders to engage in recreating the sub-prime mortgage disaster which triggered the last financial crash.

I can imagine nearly everyone on UC will have a lot of money that they can save towards a deposit every week???

Juie Hartley Brewer on TalkTV wanting to tear out her hair trying to get anything other than gibberish from Gove like how many people this new proposal will "help".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0FQg6tInI

How many people is a substantial number? I think I heard him say they will look at bringing in measures to help people save more towards a deposit without affecting eligibility for benefits. Saving more during a cost of living crisis?

Cloud cuckoo land.

Julia Hartley-Brewer hit the nail on the head by pointing out that when this government announce new policies there is a total absence of any meat on the bones of the policy.

All they say and do is nonsense.

RichmondPark

Julia Hartley-Brewer hit the nail on the head by pointing out that when this government announce new policies there is a total absence of any meat on the bones of the policy.

All they say and do is nonsense.

You wonder how they’ve lasted as long as they have tbh. I guess Covid was a godsend in as much as they claim to be world beating etc, when in fact it is the scientists and NHS.

Btw when is the covid enquiry happening?

Whitewavemark2

I can imagine nearly everyone on UC will have a lot of money that they can save towards a deposit every week???

I saw a comment on Twitter yesterday, that if you have more than £16,000 in savings, you are no longer entitled to UC.

Given that the average deposit for a home is much higher than £16,000, how are those on UC ever going to have enough to purchase a home if their savings are held against them for future UC claims?

Seriously, I'd like to know what this government thinks "substantial" means. Is the £4bn of unusable PPE which is now going to burned to "create energy" substantial? Is the £11bn Sunak is said to have wasted by paying too much interest on UK debt substantial. Are cabinet meetings spent playing an elite version of Monopoly? Only no-one ever goes to jail.

Where are all the millions that BJ said would be ploughed into the NHS after Brexit ?? Our poor NHS staff are on their knees and waiting times longer than ever. Why is this deluded buffoon allowed to get away with lie after lie after lie …. I just don’t understand it ?

Most politicians think that the way to change something is to make a speech about it. Job done! I wouldn't expect Johnson to do any work on housing of course.

CaravanSerai, putting a pound in a box evey time Mr Johnson lies presupposes that you have many pounds to spare.

I would like to think you are that rich, but I doubt it. If you were, you wouldn't need to save in order to buy petrol or heat your house, even at the today's prices!

Anyone seen the latest "Led by Donkeys" video? It's only when a list of Johnson's life and lies are presented chronologically that it reinforces what an absolute b-----d he is.

It’s the most bonkers idea Johnson has shared with the voters since the previous bonkers idea.
This one though is an outrage, it’s beyond me that anyone can believe Johnson and his advisors have any understanding of ordinary lives or what the country needs.
The idea that hard working people who live insecurely in private rented accommodation, would support this proposal shows how out of touch he is.

We need to build more social housing, provide people with good quality accommodation, secure tenancies and affordable rents. Cameron tried the scheme Johnson is re-cycling. I think it was trialed in the Midlands. Few people in housing association properties wanted to buy. They were paying affordable rents, security of tenancy and all repairs done by the housing association.