Government Legislates Against Four Bedroom Houses

So it has been announced that HIP-lite is to be ushered in to cover just 20%* of the residential housing market. With Home Information Packs (HIPs) as with supercasinos, the government unleashed a massive white elephant only to scale back at the very last minute in the face of reasonable and almost unanimous opposition. Not really the way to go, but we should be used to it. I'm sure there are plenty of disgruntled energy assessors and May house sellers today.

HIPs are a terrible idea, but I suppose having a pilot scheme applying to the rich isn't a disastrous outcome. Commentators who had predicted that the introduction of HIPs could precipitate a collapse in house prices were probably wrong. In fact, they may well be a factor in keeping the current residential property bubble going as the most direct effect of their introduction will be a fall in the number of high-end properties brought to market. The housing market is already woefully clunky. HIPs will do little more than add an additional bottleneck.

Of course, as Labour have known all along (and this is an indictment of the British electorate), the government left holding the baby when property prices do collapse will pay a big price at the ballot box. Note that Labour policies of mass immigration, increased planning regulation, shared equity and key worker schemes have only served to delay and intensify the inevitable day of reckoning.

Phased in land value tax to replace the existing muddle of property taxes is the only sensible market solution to the housing crisis. For the record, if Yvette Cooper is the kind of dogmatic, hectoring screwball who will be promoted under Brown, you should be very concerned, if you aren't already...

In preparing this post, it's dawning on me that HIPs aren't going to happen at all. If you're a trained energy assessor, I'd advise you to find something else to do.

* This estimate would no doubt include my parents' home, but their "fourth" bedroom is an office. I'd imagine that, in practice, HIPs will apply to less than 10% of the housing market.

Conjecture?

One of the great things about blogging is the chance to pontificate. For example, I particularly enjoy this recent prediction by the UK Daily Pundit.

Following corroborated reports from well-placed sources, I am now in a position to reveal that Gordon Brown will never become prime minister. The exact reason why American secret services are determined to scupper his chances may never come to light, but that is beside the point.

Plans are well underway to stage-manage Gordon's exit from the political spotlight and I understand that Gordon is to be well rewarded as part of the deal that has been arranged.

A major consequence of this development is that Labour's deputy leadership election will soon become a leadership contest. Tony Blair is privately supporting Hazel Blears professional campaign and a general election will be called should Hazel get the top job. Blair will be leading the Labour Party in opposition by the end of 2007.

NB - Bookmakers were under strict instructions to pay out early on the Brown premiership betting markets to secure against insider trading and to guard against unfortunate smoke signals. Rest assured that I have made enough money on secondary markets to keep me in blogging for the foreseeable future.

Weekend In Prague

Early



Late



Later



Happy Birthday Matt & Lenka.

Reid Hit & Run

Some more fascinating insights from the corridors of power from the excellent Benedict Brogan. As his departure looms, is the Home Office any less of a mess than when John Reid took over a year ago?

We Are All Tories Now?

Met a new group of people last night. When I mentioned that I have a political website, everyone who expressed a preference said that they were also conservatives. One chap, who is a teacher in his late 20s, wants me to send him the membership form so that he can join up with Conservatives Abroad. Excellent.

Ghost Cabinet

A different Cabinet.



Watch this space over the next few days.

MTAS Scrapped - Congratulations To Those With Backbone

I've been following the MTAS debacle unfold since the early days. Just seen Patricia Hewitt interviewed on Channel Four news. She is responsible for this mess.

Not only has this episode led directly to incredible distress and discomfort to doctors and patients, but there have been many heroes and villains of the piece.

Well done Dr Crippen, Michelle Tempest, The Stirrer and David Cameron for holding the government to account. Who else deserves a mention?

Gordon Brown - Don't Say You Weren't Warned

Blair's Triumph Of Style


This image may well come to take symbolic importance at some point in the future. Of course I am deeply disappointed by Blair's tenure because amongst other things he lacked vision and delivered a triumph of spin over truth. But, credit must be given to Blair for his ability to run a professional team. Whilst there are signs that he has increasingly become surrounded by sycophants, he has shown that he has been able to take criticism and change his mind when necessary. And over a 10 year stint, he has made very few PR mistakes. His team's presentational abilities have been a major strong point.

Brown's Emphasis On Substance

With Brown, all the signs point to the opposite. Of course some people will fairly argue that substance is more important than style. This is all very well, but I believe that his style will be his downfall regardless of his substance (which appears to be a mirage to me anyway). In the future, his habits of not delegating, blaming others and going off in a sulk won't just damage him, but also the government and probably the country too.

The Blame Culture

Any dominant manager who fails to delegate and punishes others unfairly creates a culture where communication is not open and where people avoid responsibility and harbour grudges. Not a good team environment. When you "shoot the messenger" minor problems frequently become crises before they become apparent at which point you can guarantee that the key players will be pointing at each other. The foreign prisoners' scandal is a perfect example of this.

Don't Say You Weren't Warned

The autocue debacle is a small piece of unprofessionalism. Who was responsible for setting up the press conference? Were they fully trusted to do the job or did Gordon or one of his inner circle interfere? You can guess the answers and this is indicative of what we can expect from a Brown-led government - and it will lead to poor government. Just don't say you weren't warned.

Update

Incredibly, Brown sycophant-in-chief Neil Lawson thinks that the autocue incident is symbolic of what is best about Brown. He's getting a well deserved roasting in the comments.

Economist Leads On Blair

I haven't said much about Blair's departure because I prefer to look to the future, but this week's leader in the Economist (which costs about £4 in Czech money) provoked me into responding. I couldn't fail to fisk the following extract from their front article.

------------------------------------------------

...On most measures, Mr Blair has left Britain a better place than it was in 1997. Uninterrupted economic growth has made the average Britain substantially better off, even if the tax burden has risen.

Research by the Centre for Policy Studies shows that double-income families with two children have seen their disposable weekly income fall in real terms from £709 to £706 a week between 2002 and 2006. It’s also worth noting the change in average household debt. In 1997 it was £16,155. In 2007 it is £54,318.

There are fewer tatty schools and run-down hospitals.

Indeed, there are substantially fewer schools and hospitals. There are 5% less state primaries now than in 1997, 6% less state secondaries, 10% less special schools and 17% less LEA nurseries and the government is running a mass hospital closure programme. In an event without precedent, in 2001, an independent MP unseated a Labour MP on a platform of protecting public health services.

And as for rundown hospitals, the chances of picking up preventable infections in a hospital has ballooned under Labour.

Although many exams lack rigour, more children are getting respectable grades

And you write this in support of Blair?

and going on to universities.

To what end? Meanwhile people are needing to work for longer than ever as the pension industry has collapsed under Labour.

Thanks to the minimum wage and tax credits for poor working families, the forces relentlessly pushing up income inequality under Margaret Thatcher have been blunted.

Neither of those policies help the very poorest – the eight million economically inactive British adults. Inequality has continued to rise under Labour.

These things are measurable

So why does it seem that you didn’t bother?

Less easy to prove, but just as valuable, are the ways in which Mr Blair has helped make Britain a more tolerant,

There are few signs that Labour has created a “safer, more tolerant society” as the Home Office mantra goes. I wished they had just concentrated on making it safer.

more cosmopolitan place.

Like much of this article this is very ambiguous. Whilst there may be more cultures that co-exist there is also strong evidence that there is less mixing between them – one aspect of which was described in the report Sleep-walking towards segregation. A clearer way of making this point would be that Blair has undermined national identity and institutions.

There is a human rights act now;

Which is in total disrepute and allowed plane hijackers to claim asylum in the UK. This is not the Economist that I’ve been reading for over 15 years. Why the acceptance of the damaging left-wing touchstone of unconditional human rights?

civil partnerships for homosexuals are recognised.

But has this made the country more tolerant? Much as I am loath to invoke them, check the hate crime figures.

Self-government for Scotland,

At an enormous cost

Wales

Also at great cost but with an assembly with very few powers.

and now even Northern Ireland

whose Parliament has been suspended for most of its existence.

has extended democracy:

But has reduced democracy in England

peace in Ulster must rank amongst Mr Blair’s greatest successes.

Despite other factors such as the change in mood after 9/11 and the Republic’s economic success and disinterest in a united Ireland being more powerful factors.

Class matters less:

Social mobility is at an all time low.

the fact that the Tories are led by an Old Etonian is, strangely, a sign of progress.

Whatever.

Under Mr Blair, fusty old Britain has become an international exemplar of openness.

Didn’t realise you hated pre 1997 Britain so much? We’ve always been an open nation by any standard.

Large scale immigration,

Oh that’s what you mean. For large scale, read uncontrolled.

especially from the former communist countries of Eastern Europe, has boosted the economy

Are you sure? GDP may have risen, but has GDP per capita? Have you quantified the impact on public expenditure and standards of living (e.g. higher residential rental costs)

without triggering a serious backlash of resentment.

40% of voters name immigration as their number one issue – and they aren’t calling for more.

Embracing globalisation, London has become one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

I believe what you are talking about is the continued success of financial services? If you’re happy with the government’s handling of that sector, you have low standards.

Mr Blair has changed the debate in Europe (Nicolas Sarkozy is a another right-winger in his debt – see next leader)

Blair is not a right-winger.

and he has done more than any other Western leader to force people to pay attention to climate change and poverty in Africa.

I must agree with that assessment re climate change, but when action has been needed on the African continent such as in Zimbabwe or Sudan what has Blair achieved?

You can go through this list, adding asterisks and footnotes:

I’m glad you realise the limitations of this piece.

On the economy, not enough credit goes to the Tories who came before Mr Blair

E.g. - the average annual GDP growth from 1992 – 1997 exceeds 1997 to date.

On immigration, for every happy Czech waitress in Covent Garden there are several angry Muslim in Leeds

What is your point?

He has helped gays but not prisoners or young louts.

HELPING PRISONERS & LOUTS!!! Is this a criticism? By the way, did you miss this story?

Still, Blair has improved Britain, on balance, and he has usually stood on the side of liberal progress. This newspaper, for one, has no regrets in having supported him...

Firstly, you’re a magazine not a newspaper. Secondly, where is the mention of the cronyism, spin and sheer incompetence that have marked his tenure in most people’s minds? In conclusion, like many others seduced by Blair, you are unable to admit that you made a mistake.

Footnote - Gordon Brown makes an appearance on their website.

Snaps From West Mersea

Up Against A Groyne



That's me thinking "Why can't I wear clashing clothes and finish my super sudoku in peace?".

Fighting Off A Hoodie



I'm happy to report that the matter was settled amicably without serious injury.

Apologies for those that like politics, but I've got a backlog of postable pictures from the last few weeks.