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Michael Bruton

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There is NO foreseeable answer to the housing shortage for renters or first time buyers in the UK. Why ? Because 300,000 more people settle in the UK each year than leave. So that means maybe another 100,000 housing units, are required to keep pace. Never mind the massive backlog in requirement. The UK no longer builds / decides it cannot afford to build social housing. So where do people on lower incomes live ? Help to Buy is great . But it does lead to house price inflation ( as has the stamp duty holiday) . It is great though for the profits of house builders. All Politicians promise to solve the problem. But a bit like the Stonehenge bypass on the A303. I have been waiting 50 years for that to happen !!

From: Michael Bruton 17 February 2021 13:07 PM

Perhaps MPs - who have rarely been in Parliament for a year whilst still drawing their significant FULL pay and perks - might start the ball rolling ? By taking a salary cut to 80% like those on furlough ? MPs as a a group are keen to tell the rest of us how to sacrifice whilst sacrificing nothing themselves. No wonder they are generally held in low esteem.

From: Michael Bruton 08 February 2021 10:01 AM

Discriminating against a DSS recipient forvso being is discriminatory. Much as is discriminating against someone for their gender or skin colour. There is plenty wrong with the way that landlords lose out to bad tenants. But the Rachmanish behaviour of a few damages the standing of us all. And there are more votes in tenants than in landlords too ! A good managing agent to chase up late payment on day one and to inspect one's property is not cheap but such people to me are gold dust

From: Michael Bruton 15 July 2020 09:56 AM

A good idea. Let those of us who are good landlords force out the Rachmans of letting. What of course is lacking is proper inspection and enforcement by I presume Councils. Who are generally pretty hopeless at whatever they do. Other than ticking boxes and taking sickies !

From: Michael Bruton 15 January 2020 12:39 PM

Both Parties are competing for the Renter vote. So both are pillorying landlords. Caracturing us all as bad/ evil. Most surveys and reports are "fake news" and probably worthless . So come 12 December most landlords I know will be voting for the one they see as the least unpleasant Party. And that ain't Corbyn and his even more leftist No 2.

From: Michael Bruton 26 November 2019 13:26 PM

Trusting Corbyn and Co with the economy is unwise. His dash to spend tomorrow's money which will be paid for in due course by Millenials who apparently support him is so Alice in Wonderland or perhaps Orwellian.

From: Michael Bruton 26 November 2019 13:20 PM

A whole generation has grown up since the likes of Arthur Scargill, Red Robbo and the Winter of Discontent. Unaware of what that type of socialism did to our country. Corbyn is attractive to many. Given that there are many real injustices in the UK. Corbyn's Labour Party is Marxist and ant semitic in nature. "Our friends in Hamas etc. Evil people can get into power. On the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of WW2 we are so reminded. Anyone who has worked hard for what they have and aspires for their family should worry about Corbyn's Momentum Socialism. And like the Soviet elite there is a gap between what such people say and how they live. Having seen the luxury homes of the Soviets in the 80's.!

From: Michael Bruton 05 September 2019 15:41 PM

If 300, 000 more people enter the UK each year - that means approx 90,000 housing units extra or more are required each year. Employers want cheap imported labour and ordinary folk have their wages undercut and their jobs outsourced abroad. Housing benefit is one of the largest welfare elements which we can ill afford. Never mind the costs of extra school places, NHS waiting times and congested transport. So just continue to have a problem. Well off politicians are distant from any of the consequences of their liberal policies. They are OK.

From: Michael Bruton 02 September 2019 10:03 AM

If 300, 000 more people enter the UK each year - that means approx 90,000 housing units extra or more are required each year. Employers want cheap imported labour and ordinary folk have their wages undercut and their jobs outsourced abroad. Housing benefit is one of the largest welfare elements which we can ill afford. Never mind the costs of extra school places, NHS waiting times and congested transport. So just continue to have a problem. Well off politicians are distant from any of the consequences of their liberal policies. They are OK.

From: Michael Bruton 02 September 2019 10:03 AM

There are more renters than landlords. Therefore more votes in it for those who can portray they are more on the side of tenants. Corbyn though would be even more anti landlord than the Tories. I wonder how all those MPs with property let portfolios will feel with tenants allowed to de facto squat?

From: Michael Bruton 21 August 2019 09:44 AM

Why not try the Shadow Cabinet as well. One might be surprised at how these champions of the deprived actually behave ?

From: Michael Bruton 06 August 2019 10:32 AM

A sizeable % of families are unlikely ever to buy their own home. Politicians would never say that. One step would be to build new council houses as we did in the 50s.And to ensure that any council homes sold under Right to Buy should by law be replaced on a one for one basis. We do of course come back always to the question of migration. If there is a net migration increase of 300,000 per annum that probably means at least 90,000 extra housing units required each year before we touch any backlog. So just have a problem....Politicians will spout on about the housing market just as they do about social care. Their main concern though is the 'next' Election. So these cans just get kicked down the road.

From: Michael Bruton 02 August 2019 09:06 AM

We should all pay our due. But of course any UK government picks off the small person first. Meanwhile Amazon kills the High St and is offshore and tax avoiding in Juncker's Luxembourg. So as ever the big people with good accountants and lawyers laugh at the rest of us !

From: Michael Bruton 08 July 2019 09:50 AM

Virtue signalling seems the nature of news these days. The real need is to protect landlords from rogue tenants ( Corbyn/ Tories seem intent on vilifying landlords - who can be nastier ?). And to throw the book at and if necessary lock up rogue exploitative landlords. No wonder people are turning to short term holiday lets/ airb&b to protect their properties. The right to property was enshrined on Magna Carta. Quoted by politicians but only when it suits !

From: Michael Bruton 24 June 2019 09:56 AM

As a responsible landlord I pay various fees to our letting agencies. Don't like it but pay them. Tenants are not charged other than for rent. What I do get is rental protection, a property repair service and proper legal checks and prompt follow ups if rent is late. Living distant from the properties I would not want to do all that myself. Things can go wrong of course. But have not those landlords who appear on such TV programmes as "Can't Pay, We'll take it away" cut some corners regarding agencies ? DIY is too risky nowadays ?

From: Michael Bruton 29 May 2019 09:11 AM

Would be useful of the same prohibition applied for agent's charges to landlords ! I guess thst as there are more tenants than landlords this government has decided to target " evil landlords" who do of course exist. But as a diversion ftom its own wasteful incompetence.

From: Michael Bruton 13 May 2019 08:51 AM

So private landlords won't cough up and we taxpayers have to pay. What a ghastly weak lot we have running this country. By all means speed up the recladding but then embarass/ sue the landlords. Inspect their properties for other failings. And name those who approved the cladding in the first place. Another example of an incompetent Prime Minister who is a hapless failure on so many counts. Well described by Nick Ferrari on LBC today

From: Michael Bruton 10 May 2019 10:55 AM

I have given upon the May lot. There is nothing that they do that cannot make matters other than worse. I guess that when politicians fails so abysmally as she has, that they highlight a populist issue. Like going after 'evil landlords'.

From: Michael Bruton 07 May 2019 09:24 AM

Of course honest and reliable landlords suffer because of of poor or rogue landlords. The honest always do at the hands of the feral and crooked. Whether the latter are bankers or burglars ! But Councils are generally profligate, incompetent and sometimes crooked too. Just read any edition of Private Eye for examples of their dishonesty. Landlords should be licenced as are pubs and business premises. £1200 though reflects the gluttony and awfulness of so many Councils. But as only 30% bother to vote in Council elections we get the rabble we get in charge. Our fault sadly.

From: Michael Bruton 04 April 2019 09:35 AM

Great idea. Crack down heavily on rogue agents and landlords and tenants!

From: Michael Bruton 01 April 2019 09:12 AM

Do property owning Labour Shadow Cabinet members who let out properties (yes there are) welcome DSS with open arms? Methinks not.

From: Michael Bruton 27 March 2019 13:30 PM

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