Landlords are not “contributing anything useful to society” a politician has claimed.
Over the Christmas and New year break Ross Greer, a Green Party member of the Scottish Parliament, shared on Twitter a newspaper article about landlords being forced to sell up and accompanied his post with a "tiny violin" emoji.
Greer’s party - which is in a loose alliance with the Scottish National Party to form a majority in the Scottish Parliament - recently introduced a rent freeze across the private and social rental sectors north of the border. In theory it lasts until the end of April this year but there is scope for it to be extended.
The politician has gone on to claim to the Scottish media that the suggestions homes would disappear because landlords had sold up were “scare stories.”
He told The Herald: “Housing is a fundamental human right. Hoarding properties for profit isn't contributing anything useful to society and these landlord scare stories about homes coming off the market simply don't add up.
“The properties owned by a landlord aren't demolished when that individual leaves the sector, they are sold. You only need to look at the obscene rise in rents across Scotland over the last decade to recognise how important the current temporary rent freeze and the coming system of permanent rent controls both are.
“The Scottish Greens are exceptionally proud to be delivering these vital protections for tenants from within the Scottish Government. We are supporting the many families who are struggling through this cost of living crisis and fundamentally shifting the balance of power between exploitative landlords and their tenants."
Just before Christmas the Scottish Government raised the additional dwelling supplement element of that country’s Land and Buildings Tax (the equivalent of stamp duty) from 4.0 per cent to 6.0 per cent.
Greer then tweeted: “Raising the ADS will raise £34m for public services I hope it also acts as a disincentive to second/holiday home ownership, which hollows out rural communities and forces young people to move elsewhere.”
There have been attempts by Landlord Today and our sister publication Letting Agent Today to discover whether these statements by Green are official Green Party policy or simply his individual views, but the party has not responded.
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Landlords are not “contributing anything useful to society” a politician has claimed. No, just the housing that politicians have failed to provide. What an idiot.
What chance do we have with economically illiterate idiots like this in government.
Says a man who takes a vast salary and expenses from the public purse and contributes nothing in return. If landlords just vanished which would be this man’s wish I’m sure his words of comfort will make the many homeless feel much better.
"Housing is a fundamental human right". No - it's a very important need, not a right: big difference. The former suggests that there should be an automatic entitlement whereas the other recognises a requirement. Why do politicians (and others) get these so confused ?
Last time I checked, most folks liked the idea of choosing how and where to live. The rental market is far from perfect but that is a market symptom of underlying issues elsewhere. There is no such thing as a free lunch: someone somewhere always has to pay.
What a moron if true, typical Green and Scottish with zero clue of how life works.
Its true
I saw it for my own eyes, look at the idiots twitter account and you will see
His party have form for this in Scotland, sadly his colleague Patrick Harvie is in charge of "tenants rights" and a new assault on landlords is already underway
Simon
Please edit out the "and Scottish" slur.
The SNP and their little Green helpers do not represent the views of the majority of Scots but unfortunately due to Blair's devolution disaster they currently control what we have to endure in Scotland.
What does Mr Greer contribute to society ?
I think he joined Holyrood straight from school!
People who have a negative view about landlords and are always complaining about landlords that we dont contribute enough for the society and social housing should firstly learn to keep there mouths shut and research before commenting there negative thoughts. Its cos of the Professional landlords who have kept the social housing kept going otherwise the whole system will have folded years ago.
These type of politicians have no future in society and should resign from there position in goverment.
Politicians are not “contributing anything useful to society”
A Green Party politician says landlords do not provide a use to society - the hypocrisy and lack of self awareness in politicians is absolutely astonishing.
Message to any self righteous politician who loves their sound bites like “housing is a human right”. If you actually believe your own virtue signalling rubbish, then why don’t you get off your backside and actually provide more housing to those who need it without just sponging from the tax payer? Ah yes, that’s right, you can’t and won’t because when all is said and done you contribute nothing and you know it.
'Class Action'... sue him for the damage he has caused to the Industry.
FIGHT BACK THEN 'SELL UP' AND INVEST WHERE WELCOMED!
I see his point about the house not being demolished, but the chances of the existing tenants buying are low. If it’s purchased by someone moving from their parents home, then that’s one less property in the rental stock and one more potentially homeless family.
Exactly, that is what the enlightened understands, most are not aware like we are. A renter is often not a buyer, but a buyer could always rent.
So tomorrow, LLs are forced to ‘gift’ their properties and hand over the Deeds and mortgage to the current tenant (making them an owner-occupier)…now what?? Aside from having decimated the labour market’s flexibility, most wouldn’t have the additional funds for either the regular expenses such as insurance or unexpected bills like a replacement boiler, for example. And that’s before you consider the loss of some benefits from now owning an asset. LLs involving themselves in the rather common social problems has now gone, as is any off-plan purchases from developers that fund the remainder of the build. Also, were you putting the seemingly endless new arrivals if there’s no property for Local Authorities to rent as ‘emergency accommodation’?
Fool of the highest order.
Absolute Fool! Scotland has to get rid of this Ultra Left-Wing Government ASAP, although, if Labour get in it will be much of the same. It’s time LL bodies faced the unfair criticism of LL’s head on and put us back on an even keel.
Look at his Twitter...it's all over the place with very very few 'likes' on comments. He's one of these that thinks any exposure by saying something 'controversial' is a career.
Coming from a politician that’s pure irony
At least we’re not selling our whole country down the river , poisoning the population and claiming expenses while contributing nothing but waffle and hot air
Bring back guy Fawkes
So, what have the landlords ever done for US, comrades?! They contribute nothing to society… except millions of rental homes… social mobility… around £46.2bn to the overall economy… £16bn in tax take each year… the employment or support of agents, accountants, solicitors, tradesmen, kitchen manufacturers, builders, DIY retailers, material’s manufacturers, EPC assessors, council enviro teams, and a myriad others… Some even become builders of new developments, or teach best practice, or give a better service to their tenants than any social housing management would. But yes, comrades, apart from all THAT… what have the landlords ever done for US?!?!
Hahaha , Brilliant !!
its up there with the "What have the Romans ever done for us" comment! 😂🙈
Mr Ross Greer when did you get out,🎻.
So you think landlords make no contribution, did they not have to buy the property ?, comitting to paying hundreds of thousands of £’s for it for decades, pay Stamp Duty £25/ 30k up front, in London where even a Flat can cost £.5m you won’t get a house for it. London is particularly disadvantaged and hammered with more Regulations than anywhere else, the average house price in L’don is £880k while in L’pool Its £220k but the Rent is not a quarter is it ?.
So Mr Greer don’t consider purchasing a contribution if not what is it ?.
Licensing Schemes robbing landlords of millions of £’s in every Borough driving Rents through the Roof you seem to be blaming landlords for Local Authorities actions.
Millions spent on Compliance work to meet a mammoth of requirements is any of this not a contribution or is it fun to you.
By the 31st of this month hand over Billions of £’s income tax to the Inland Revenue is that not a contribution?.
Maintain the Property and every aspect of it weather structural or fixtures and fittings is that not a contribution?.
Insurance’s, Service Charges if any etc, if we sell pay Capital Gains tax is that not a contribution ?,
No wonder the Country is in a mess with idiots like you in Government.
He's an idiot, why waste your time.
Google him. Look at him. He's born in 1994. I wouldn't bother with this guy any further.
Wikipedia says:
In June 2012 Greer was strongly criticised for posting a tweet saying "I'm not exaggerating when I say nothing would thrill me more than for Buckingham Palace to burn to the ground."[15] Later the same year, Greer was criticised for tweeting about organising a party to celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher (who was critically ill at the time) which contained the words "hope she goes soon!"[16]
On 25 January 2019, Greer posted a tweet calling Winston Churchill "a white supremacist mass murderer." He later went on Good Morning Britain and Politics Live and was challenged on his views.[17][18] This was not the first time Greer has been criticised for his comments about the Second World War; a few years prior he was accused of historical ignorance after tweeting that "Britain was happy to live with Hitler".[15]
You need to respond to him and challenge h. It could go mainstream!
It really doesn't matter what he thinks, there is only an issue if Tenants believe this, which they don't.
I remember some politician twit saying exactly the same quote only that time it was aimed at Teachers.
I'm just guessing but I have have seen many associations of the words "twit" and "teachers" with the name Gove. I wholeheartedly agree.
He doesn't seem to have ever worked a proper job and from his profile is a closet communist. I pity the poor public who voted for him. He lives in a land of limitless public funds.
Sorry I’m confused. Are you talking about Greer or Gove? ;)
Ross Greer is about the same age as my daughter and her husband, neither of whom would make a stupid statement like that. It should be mandatory for anyone who wants to be a politician to get an economics qualification.
Agreed Karen, I also have a daughter born 1994 (my youngest) and her boy friend same age, While at uni I believe she was brain washed into voting green, she has matured a lot since then, neither of them would ever make a crazy statement like that .
When you think about all of the uproar about Jeremy Clarkson’s recent tweet about Meghan and we have people running our country making outrageous statements like him. I do genuinely worry about the future of our country.
Karen. I think that’s the problem with Michael Gove & Ross Greer they have Education otherwise they couldn’t be that stupid.
Michael, over all my years, which are many, I have come across many supposable '' educated'' people who in the real world haven't a clue, education and common sense rarely go together .
The mans lack of self-awareness is quite staggering.
Man? I think you mean boy,
He lack of experience shows like many other outsiders shouting from the ditch with no positive contribution or any knowledge of housing people because they don’t do it, just knock the landlords that do.
So he thinks Rent rises have been obscene not talking on
board people like him are a contributory factor or even the main driver of Rent increases,
if not how does he explain increasing ADS (S,D) driving up landlords costs by £35’000’000.00 does anything other than drive up Rents.
what an absolute t@sser is that Ross er!
He is truly Green, wet not just behind the ears but all over.
At least the landlords provide houses to rent and receive rent (mostly), unlike Politicians who are 95%+ mere parasites on the coffers of the nation, and simply do know or or pretend not to, the basics of life!
I think our great Churchill one said this:
Roads are made, streets are made, services are improved, electric light turns night into day, water is brought from reservoirs a hundred miles off in the mountains — all the while the landlord sits still. Every one of those improvements is affected by the labor and cost of other people and the taxpayers. To not one of these improvements does the land monopolist contribute, and yet, by every one of them the value of his land is enhanced. He renders no service to the community, he contributes nothing to the general welfare, he contributes nothing to the process from which his own enrichment is derived…The unearned increment on the land is reaped by the land monopolist in exact proportion, not to the service, but to the disservice done.
— Winston Churchill, 1909
I bet this idiot still lives at home with mummy and daddy, rides a bike, doesn't eat meat, hugs trees and supports all communist regimes!
If ever there was a case for politicians to have a minimum age for election and to have had a real job with responsibilities for at least 20 years before being able to stand, this is it!
I don't know what Scotland has voted for but I know we're drifting further and further apart. I would hate to see the UK break up but if this is the calibre they are voting for, I do not think we're compatible long-term.
On to this cretin. I'm surprised he cannot see the benefits of capitalism. He's a super-ugly guy, hence his why this loser is such a lefty. The beauty with capitalism is that it leads to innovation and there's such great developements in the field of plastic surgery that this bitter, ugly guy could really benefit.
Sorry. I shouldn't point fun at someone's appearance but I cannot listen to a useless policitian have the temerity to come out with this garbage. To be an effective landlord, one must have skills/knowledge in accounting, law, construction, human interactions, psychology, councilling, administration etc. Providing housing is one of the most important aspects in human life along with providing medical help, food and other services. What we do not need is more unskilled, useless politicians meddling in everyone's affairs for their own power kicks.
Mr Ross Greer should resign!
PSL house tenants that Councils cannot house!
Time to go Mr Greer!
I call on you to resign!
When I sell a btl this March to minimise paying so much CGT a family with 2 children will become homeless. I feel bad because both children born in that house and parents rented from me for 9 years and I don't want to see them homeless. Young couple with no children buying my 3 bedroom house with garden from me. Council have told my tenants they will be put up in temporary accommodation.
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