[dave]

House prices are high because the number of people per square metre is high, amongst other factors.

other factors including the fact banks will lend just about any amount of money to anyone. There was a time when a bank would lend a couple 1.5 times the mans salary, plus half the womens!

[galpinos]

The Liberals shot themselves in the foot when they got rid of Kennedy. He may have been an alcky but at least he talked sense. He virtualy the only polititian on question time I ever find myself agreeing with. Oh, I agree with Hague sometimes as well. If he wasn't short, bald and had a voice that was vaguely tolerable he'd have done the Tories a a lot of good.

Old Mingis has written the liberals off as a serious political party unfortunately.

[Johnny Brown]

House prices are high because the number of people per square metre is high, amongst other factors.

Beacuse during the last ten years the population has increased by nearly 10%. I'm all for freedom of movement, but Labour should have at least moinitored numbers so they could provide housing. No, they're still pretending it hasn't happened. The population has been in slight decline for thirty years, no wonder it caught the housing market unawares.

[jfw]

Isn't a big part of the problem that household sizes are much smaller?

so there are a lot more households of one or two...rather than 4/5

how many people's parents are still living in a big family house as a couple/on their own - the members of the "aging population" are often in their own (big) home - should we make them move somewhere smaller?

[Yossarian]

I found this rather amusing...

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity
He's broken every golden rule—he breaks the law of amity.
His off balance sheet accounting would make Robert Maxell stare,
But when you open up the books—Macavity's not there!
You may search the whole Smith Institute, or the Cash-for-Honours affair—
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!
Macavity's a peculiar cat—he's full of tricks and wiles.
He mutters and he mumbles and he hardly ever smiles.
He scarcely talks to colleagues, his head is highly domed
His suit is dusty from neglect, his hair is all uncombed.
He juts his jaw from side to side; he never can relax.
Except when he is planning to impose his hundredth tax.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a grudge in human form, a monster of depravity.
He won’t support tuition fees; he won’t back Tony Blair.
And as for foundation hospitals—well, Macavity's not there!

The Cabinet is stuck with him. (It’s said they live in fear.)
And he gives his Budget to the House exactly once a year.
But when defence is looted, or the pension funds are rifled,
Or the tax credits go missing, or John Hutton is found stifled,
Or a greenhouse gas is rising, and Lord Turnbull in despair—
Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!
And if he doesn’t like you, then you know that, without fail
You’ll wake up to nasty briefings printed in the Daily Mail.
There may be a scap of paper in the hall or on the stair
But it's useless to investigate—Macavity's not there!

And when the loss has been disclosed, the civil service say:
"It must have been Macavity!"—but he's a mile away.
You'll be sure to find him brooding, or a-chewing of his hand
As he works out how exactly to get rid of Miliband.
Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macacity,
He’s doesn’t care for social grace; he’s short on charm and suavity.
He always has an alibi, or one or two to spare:
And whatever time the leak took place—MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!
And they say that all his colleagues who hold his name in dread
(I might mention Norwich South; I might mention Birkenhead.)
Are nothing more than ciphers for the Cat who never lacks
An excuse to raise some revenue: the Napoleon of Tax!

[Simon S]

The housing problems that we are exeriencing is due to a number of factors, namely, population, composition of households, interest rates and borrowing criteria. Quite frankly the mortgage lenders have a lot to answer for. 35 year mortgages cannot be seen as a good thing, since they have a inflationary effect on prices. The differential between houses market and real value/cost is frightening. It seems that the country has failed to have any proper plan for where we are to house everyone, in this age of increasing population from both people entering the country and the ageing population.
Given that 90% live on just 8% of the land then clearly the lack of space is not an issue. Reading the reports from housebuilers makes for rather grim reading to. They are significantly increasing the density of housing, not good socially, and imo a retrograd step that isn't so far removed from the slums of the turn of the century. Why, on earth should we only be producing (in any numbers that is) small pokey, poorly designed, little shoe boxes, crammed into the smallest area, I really do not know. Like I say we have the space, so why not start producing nicer places to live?
I really think that the government has allowed the grass to grow under their feet on this issue. The utter lack of planning has lead us into this alleyway, and for the moment I can't see an easy way out. 

[SA Chris]

I think piss poor infrastructure is partially to balme for cramming them in. All amenities are now concentrated in larger towns and cities, which are a pain to get into and out of, so everyone wants to be as close to them as possible.

There is currently work underway at Portlethen (just south of Aberdeen) for about 1000 new "cluster" (I think i know what the cluster is short for) homes, new exits going in and everything, but the Aberdeen bypass hasn't even been finalised yet. Great planning.

[Sloper]

My point about 'tribal politics' was that despite being of a Conservative bent, I can still mantain a critical outlook on their policies etc.

It seems Gordon Brown is willing to junk ID cards, which would be good and significantly shift away from many of Blair's policies and seek to return to a style of Government where the executive is held to account.

The only problem with this is, WTF was Gordon doing for 10 years in number 11?  was he crossing his fingers every time he agreed with Tony?

Moving away from this the big problem Gordon is going to have is what happens in the silly season and then during the autumn confrences.

How he copes with 'events dear boy' will be more crucial than any new policy initiative.

Anyway as for political trolling, I'm banned from UKC but have the odd rant on yougov.com

[Stubbs]

Like I say we have the space, so why not start producing nicer places to live?

At the cost of what other land use?  Greenbelt? farming? brownfield industrial?  I'm not sure what the other 92% of the land is, but I bet a large proportion of it it is entirely unsuitable for housing and attempting to build on the rest of it will cause clashes with some other existing land use, or be financially prohibitive to the developers due to the work required to make the land suitable.

[Johnny Brown]

Well now the arse has fallen out of sheepfarming, perhaps they could reinstigate the highland clearances, but in reverse?

[Simon S]

At the cost of what other land use?  Greenbelt? farming? brownfield industrial?  I'm not sure what the other 92% of the land is, but I bet a large proportion of it it is entirely unsuitable for housing and attempting to build on the rest of it will cause clashes with some other existing land use, or be financially prohibitive to the developers due to the work required to make the land suitable.

Well, there will be some areas that are unsuitable for sure, but there are a hell of a lot that are not. Techniques used for difficult land are more costly but then this could be absorbed reasily given the current market conditions. Don't get me wrony, I love the countryside and would hate to see it damaged, but at some point we have to face facts that some of it will need to be used for housing or we will face the consequences. After all, what is the point of huge sections of land that are unused, when only development of a tiny proportion would make a huge difference in the lives of UK residents. I do agree with you when you mention about brownfield industrial. Having industial areas converted to housing is a poor way forward, since the industry will never be allowed back, and these often small communities will have residents forced to commute to work. 

[Paz]

It seems that the country has failed to have any proper plan for where we are to house everyone,

Why do you think there are so many day time TV programmes called 'escape to the sun' and that?

If anyone wants to stay here we've got a few spare tents at our house. 

[nik at work]

The housing issue is a lot more complicated than simply we need to build a few new houses in some of these unused sheep fields.
Given the current output of the mass housebuilders in this country I am struggling to think of something less appealing than allowing them to spunk there lego houses all over the countryside.

Meanwhile on the original topic, I think Gordon Brown smells, and seems completely charmless.
Fucking politicians....

[Somebody's Fool]

I think people who keep banging on about charm are missing the point a little.  I'm not convinced it's a pre-requisite for doing the job well. 

I don't want to come across as a Brown²-noser, but I find Tony's 'charm' cringeworthy.  My gut instinct is that Gordon Brown will do a better, more respectful job of leading our country than Blair has.  I'll probably be proved wrong though...

[nik at work]

Yeah but what about his smell?