Current Affairs

[Mervyn and Trish]

Me too until I was 11. Then my parents bought their first house.

[johnds]

I started life in a pre-fab just after the war
Progressed to a council house around 1950
Bought my own small bungalow in the early seventies

[Manoverboard]

I also lived in a Council House until I left home aged 18 for pastures new, my dad eventually bought their house in the 80s.

Thanks for the heads up Screwy I will record it on Catch up .

[barney]

It was very interesting and confirmed what I have thought and said for years.

Good social housing is the bedrock of society.

Everything else flows from having a secure home.

That is why I was so very disappointed when Blair took over and didn't stimulate the building of social housing.
I've nothing against right to buy, but only if they are replaced like for like.

As this forums token leftie, if I had one piece of advice for Johnson, it would be to announce a massive program of social house building (and see it through)
A guaranteed vote winner in my opinion.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The last few posts indicate the problem with council/social housing. In the past it was the norm for many people and we are fine examples of that. Since more and more people can afford their own houses that's left those who can't in the social housing. That's shifted the socio-economic balance. Most people in social housing are still wonderful people - just not so well off. But the new balance means the proportion of scum bags is higher, affecting everyone else who lives there. Well that's my answer. I must watch the programme now to see if they agree!

p.s. I agree with Barnie. There needs to be a big investment in this area. That will solve the housing crisis and help to restore the balance of families in social housing.

[barney]

Thatcher's idea of selling off council stock was purely political.

Private home owners are more inclined to vote Tory, that is an absolute fact.

Where she took it too far was not enabling councils to replace the sold off stock, thus denying deserving people a secure home.
Council house tenants are more likely to vote Labour, so her policy was choke it off at the source.

Pure ideology, and a sinister one at that.

Even 'scumbags' have the right to a decent roof over their heads.

[david63]

To start a policy of building social housing is a medium to long term solution whereas if the authorities were to buy (funding obviously being provided) existing empty/for sale proprieties that could ease the situation almost overnight. The problem with that approach is that they are not the properties that many want. There is this notion that if you are having a house today that it has to be a brand shiny new (preferably detached) house - not a 1930's mid terrace.

If councils were to buy "used stock" this would also have the benefit of stimulating the housing market allowing people to move up the housing ladder.

[Manoverboard]

Thatcher's idea of selling off council stock was purely political.

Private home owners are more inclined to vote Tory, that is an absolute fact.

Where she took it too far was not enabling councils to replace the sold off stock, thus denying deserving people a secure home.
Council house tenants are more likely to vote Labour, so her policy was choke it off at the source.

Pure ideology, and a sinister one at that.

Even 'scumbags' have the right to a decent roof over their heads.

Actually it was Labour who enabled tenants to purchase their Council houses … my dad bought his prior to the Right to Buy Act. They, Labour, thought that many of the longer term occupiers had paid sufficient rent to have actually bought the house. My Dad for example never missed a single rent payment for a tad over 40 years.

Would agree however that Maggie milked developed the idea to boost Tory ideals.

[screwy]

I would agree to some extent on Maggies intentions regarding voting patterns,however I also believe it was a ploy used when reeling in the Unions, Go on strike now you’ve got a mortgage.?

[Stephen]

Body found in Malayashian jungle suspected to be that of missing girl. Very sad.

Nora Quoirin: Body found in Malaysia search for missing girl https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49330702

[anniec]

The poor parents. It must be unbelievably awful for them.

The only positive is that the body's been found, unlike the poor parents of Madeleine McCann.

[oldbluefox]

The circumstances are indeed sad. It must be your worst nightmare.

[screwy]

50 yrs ago today British troops were sent to N.Ireland, commonly known as Operation Banner. What good did that do ? Well, the people we were sent to protect turned against us as did the Last Labour Govt (thanks Blair ) we are now being pursued through the courts while IRA Terrorist Killers were given pardons, seems its all fair eh.? Belfast Agreement, Bollocks.

[screwy]

I will amend that to The Good Friday Agreement. Still Bollocks.!!!

[towny44]

I will amend that to The Good Friday Agreement. Still Bollocks.!!!

Nothing changes, wasn't Jesus betrayed by Judas on Good Friday as well.

[Stephen]

There's controversy over some of the Royals over use of private flights.

This amused me in the Mail today.

img20190824_15103927b.jpg

[towny44]

Sad to see Ruth Davidson resign as Scottish Tory leader yesterday, if only all remainers had been as gracious in defeat as she has been, then the country, especially parliament, would not be in such a mess.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes I rated her. Certainly more than Mrs Krankie, who is getting more shrill every day in her desire to rule the UK. Of course she resigned to see more of her family. As they all do!

[towny44]

Yes I rated her. Certainly more than Mrs Krankie, who is getting more shrill every day in her desire to rule the UK. Of course she resigned to see more of her family. As they all do!

Now don't be a cynic Merv.

[towny44]

I see that the BBC, having lost the Brexit debate, have now moved their bandwagon onto climate change. Whilst accepting that higher temps are causing some of the extreme weather events, I am not certain that the extinction of life on Earth will be the ultimate outcome of climate change, but that seems to be what the BBC are prophesying.
However it's a news story that is likely to run far longer than Brexit, so that should keep the Beeb occupied for a few hundred years.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Your anti BBC bias will outrun everything Towny! I seem to have seen the climate change story on a number of news outlets. Hardly a BBC exclusive.

[Frank Manning]

The BBC is not perfect, but it is a world class broadcaster. My licence fee is a fraction of what Sky used to charge me, and I get a lot of high quality nature, arts, and news programmes plus local radio for that. Of course if you want to be influenced by the envy and greed of the rich absentee press barons, you can believe all the anti BBC vitriol in The Mail, The Sun, Express, and The Times. I prefer to believe what I see with my own eyes. Also, having spent many years in combustion engineering I am only too aware of the amount of CO2 produced by the fossil fuel burners which I sold. Not to mention NO2 and SO2. Just because I dont like the message, I wont shoot the messenger.

[Onelife]

I see that the BBC, having lost the Brexit debate, have now moved their bandwagon onto climate change. Whilst accepting that higher temps are causing some of the extreme weather events, I am not certain that the extinction of life on Earth will be the ultimate outcome of climate change, but that seems to be what the BBC are prophesying.
However it's a news story that is likely to run far longer than Brexit, so that should keep the Beeb occupied for a few hundred years.

There was a time when the BBC just reported on the new now they create it.

[towny44]

I am just highlighting the change in emphasis for the Beeb as far as their current lead story, and as far as my post I dont believe I made any comment about the value or quality of their entertainment programmes or even the veracity of their news programming.
However I do have concerns about their tendency to become over absorbed in these subjects, and how they tend to only report them from one perspective, and their reports only emphasise the subject from this one point of view. They seem very unwilling to report in the round and allow their viewers to draw their own conclusions, they may be more liberal than communist Pravda, but equally they have no truck with any opposing views.

[Frank Manning]

I dont see them making the news in respect of the warming climate. It is a fact. And CO2 is an undeniable product of for example methane gas. CH4 + O2 = H2O + CO2. They aren't creating that those are facts. Methane is clean compared to heavy oil and coal, with their contaminants.