Prices of the electricity we use to charge

[nigelbb]

I can understand the resentment that I think I detect in that post by Az. Younger people have a very tough time in paying the costs of putting a roof over their heads, but his prescription would not solve the problem and never could have. The numbers of people with multiple houses are small, but the shortage created by thirty years of mass migration and low levels of building, has created a massive shortage of homes. Getting a few people to sell off their second home would do nothing to reduce prices, and as you say would ensure there was no possibility of renting either.

There are over 800,000 second homes in the UK so the number is not insignificant & if even half of them became available it would have a significant effect on the housing crisis.

The major issue is that we used to build over 200,000 council houses every year but 30-40 years of building no council houses while selling the remaining stock at knock down prices has led to a crisis in the rental sector.

 

[Ghost1951]

Why don't you think she should take responsibility for posting known racist/Islamophobic falsehoods that she would know could have the effect of inflaming racial hatred?

You do seem highly volatile and prone to hyperbole.

I do not believe that she posted KNOWN falsehoods or racist or Islamic tropes. This is your shocking indoctrination programme talking. You have had your mind taken over by malign forces and see racism everywhere you look.

I am not going to use the other word ending in 'phobia', because that is a left wing trope just like the one relating to homosexuality. The attachment of the term 'phobia' to a religion or to discussion of sexual orientation is repressive. These things can be discussed. In certain circumstances both religion (all religion) and sexual behaviour can be criticised in a free society. You want to prevent that. I can criticise bad things about the way catholicism has impacted the world, but I can't - apparently - criticise what I might see as bad things coming from Islam....

Not in my book.

Racism - by which I mean an attitude of contempt for people because of their racial characteristics, is a bad thing always. Criticism of cultural practices is not. It can be perfectly legitimate to criticise the cultural practices of any group, if you think they are harmful in any way.

By the way, before you dismiss me as one of those phobes, I once spent days in court waiting to give character evidence on behalf of a Muslim fellow that I knew quite well. He was charged with making a death threat. What I knew about him was that he had become very angry and said something stupid that he never meant to carry out or meant to be taken seriously. He was convicted at the first trial and then a re-trial was ordered. I spent about a week of my life waiting to stand up for him. I knew he was harmless and felt obliged to defend him. I received some flack from some people who had taken an interest in the case, but I thought it was right to tell the court what I knew of his character. He was acquitted at the second trial.

 

[nigelbb]

What about David Atherton, who is also reported as having retweeted it. He's still in the country and not arrested. Incidentally, I had edited that post to make it clearer what I meant.

I haven't a clue who David Atherton is. I quickly Googled & found he is either a winner from 'Bake-Off' or the conductor & founder of the London Sinfonietta.

 

[Ghost1951]

There are over 800,000 second homes in the UK so the number is not insignificant & if even half of them became available it would have a significant effect on the housing crisis.

The major issue is that we used to build over 200,000 council houses every year but 30-40 years of building no council houses while selling the remaining stock at knock down prices has led to a crisis in the rental sector.

Then deal with the lack of building rather than planning to confiscate , or tax people's property with repressive taxes.

Why not confiscate people's savings and spend it on the NHS or some other thing the government might like. Why not force them to sell their luxury goods because some other people can't afford to have nice things and this may be seen as divisive?

Are you just an old fashioned communist and see the better off as capitalist beasts?

I note you omit to mention the at least ten million migrants have come to live here in the same period that we are discussing. Do they all live in fairy arbours under toadstools, or have they bought, and rented properties like the rest of us? In which case, why is the chap with a second home the problem? He bought it from his hard earned taxed income. Why is it that you can decide he shouldn't have it?

Of course, you do know about the migrant aspect of the issue, but have chosen not to mention it. This suggests that in reality, you are more interested in making your point about people YOU don't like and are jealous of, than you are about really solving the problem.

It is at least a decade since I started saying the government should build sound, cheap housing on a massive scale rather than waste tens of billions on HS2 to cut a few minutes off the journey time between two major cities. The impact of all the HS2 money being put into government owned rental property on the quality of people's lives would have been far better than the railway. There is just no comparison at all in terms of benefit.

 

[Ghost1951]

There are over 800,000 second homes in the UK so the number is not insignificant & if even half of them became available it would have a significant effect on the housing crisis.

Did you know that 40% of the second homes in the government data are homes not within the United Kingdom?

4. Location of second homes
In 2021-22 60% (482,000) of second homes were in the UK and 40% (327,000) were outside the UK. In 2010-11 there were more homes outside the UK (371,000 or 52%) than in the UK (48%).

English Housing Survey 2021 to 2022: second homes - fact sheet

www.gov.uk

 

[nigelbb]

Did you know that 40% of the second homes in the government data are homes not within the United Kingdom?

English Housing Survey 2021 to 2022: second homes - fact sheet

www.gov.uk

Shows that I should have read beyond the headline figure. However 482,000 is not insignificant & if even half of them became available it would have a significant effect on the housing crisis.

 

[nigelbb]

You do seem highly volatile and prone to hyperbole.

I do not believe that she posted KNOWN falsehoods or racist or Islamic tropes. This is your shocking indoctrination programme talking. You have had your mind taken over by malign forces and see racism everywhere you look.

I am not going to use the other word ending in 'phobia', because that is a left wing trope just like the one relating to homosexuality....

She posted KNOWN falsehoods as she was the one who made up the lies that she posted in this tweet.

For all your protestations to the contrary Islamophobia really is a thing. People hate Muslims because they are Muslims. Why do you think that the right wing racist thugs targeted mosques?

 

[Ghost1951]

She posted KNOWN falsehoods as she was the one who made up the lies that she posted in this tweet.

For all your protestations to the contrary Islamophobia really is a thing. People hate Muslims because they are Muslims. Why do you think that the right wing racist thugs targeted mosques?

I have no idea why right wing thugs targeted mosques. Was it mosques plural or mosques singular? I am not connected with these people, and I don't know anything about why they do things. I will say that people who get involved in riots are in my opinion very stupid people, and ignorant too, so who knows what makes them tick?

I see no point in repeating myself with regard to your assertion about known falsehoods and the woman arrested. It's rubbish. I already explained why. Rather than waste anymore time on this. I think i'll leave you to your faux outrage and get on with something more productive.

 

[Ghost1951]

Shows that I should have read beyond the headline figure. However 482,000 is not insignificant & if even half of them became available it would have a significant effect on the housing crisis.

Only a repressive state would think it right to either, confiscate, or badger, and tax people out of their own property, that they paid for out of taxed income and long term savings. Of course some people are fascistic in nature and inclination. Many of them don't know what the term fascist means. It is about the needs of the state taking precedence over the freedom of the people. I say it is fascistic thinking, to seek to remove people's second homes, because the state itself has grossly mismanaged the balance between its desire to grab more taxpayers from abroad, and its duty to see that there are enough homes for people to live in.

 

[Woosh]

If it comes to repurposing second homes, it will be done through compulsory purchase, no difference from expropriation of houses along HS2 for example.

 

[nigelbb]

Only a repressive state would think it right to either confiscate or badger and tax people out of their own property paid for out of taxed income. Of course some people are fascistic in nature and inclination. Many of them don't know what the term fascist means. It is about the needs of the state taking precedence over the freedom of the people. I say it is fascistic thinking to seek to remove people's second homes because the state itself has grossly mismanaged the balance between its desire to grab more taxpayers from abroad and its duty to see that there are enough homes for people to live in.

Interesting that your idea is confiscation of assets. Obviously your fascistic traits coming out. I was thinking of nudge theory & making second home ownership less attractive e.g. ensure that the council tax on all second homes is 2x or 3x or whatever to discourage second home ownership.

 

[nigelbb]

I have no idea why right wing thugs targeted mosques. Was it mosques plural or mosques singular. I am not connected with these people and I don't know anything about why they do things. I will say that people who get involved in riots are in my opinion very stupid people, and ignorant too, so who knows what makes them tick.

Right wing racist thugs targeted mosques because they are Islamophobic. They hate Muslims who they just see as another 'race' that isn't white British. See... despite your protestations Islamophobia really is a thing.

 

[soundwave]

The 'draconian' UK area where you can be fined £100 for swearing

Furious residents have slammed public space protection orders as "draconian" and "a bit harsh" as people swearing in the street can be fined for "causing distress"

www.mirror.co.uk

will have fart fines next and then the toilet tax

 

[nigelbb]

Of course, you do know about the migrant aspect of the issue, but have chosen not to mention it. This suggests that in reality, you are more interested in making your point about people YOU don't like and are jealous of, than you are about really solving the problem.

It is at least a decade since I started saying the government should build sound, cheap housing on a massive scale rather than waste tens of billions on HS2 to cut a few minutes off the journey time between two major cities. The impact of all the HS2 money being put into government owned rental property on the quality of people's lives would have been far better than the railway. There is just no comparison at all in terms of benefit.

Your analysis is correct but flawed. The problem is NOT immigration. The problem is lack of accommodation being built. Money spend on HS2 would have been far better off spent on council housing. Fifty years ago we were building 200,000 council houses per year but then stopped. Just imagine if we had built even a quarter of that every year since the peak. We would have another 2.5 million houses now.

 

[Ghost1951]

The 'draconian' UK area where you can be fined £100 for swearing

Furious residents have slammed public space protection orders as "draconian" and "a bit harsh" as people swearing in the street can be fined for "causing distress"

www.mirror.co.uk

will have fart fines next and then the toilet tax

Never mind 'fart tax'; there are people here who think it's ok to take people's second homes. That is REALLY draconian.

 

[Ghost1951]

Your analysis is correct but flawed. The problem is NOT immigration. The problem is lack of accommodation being built. Money spend on HS would have been far better off spent on council housing. Fifty years ago we were building 200,000 council houses per year but then stopped. Just imagine if we had built even a quarter of that every year since the peak. We would have another 2.5 million houses now.

Please show where we are to build them. England has a population density of 433 people per sq Km. France has one of 118 people per sq km and Spain 98.

 

[Ghost1951]

Tomorrow night is the best chance of the year to see many shooting stars. Also the weather might be good.

Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 Is About to Hit Its Peak. Here's How to Watch.

Great ready for one of the surefire astronomical events of 2024, as the peak for the Perseid meteors arrives next week.

www.sciencealert.com

 

[lenny]

There can be no excuses. The UK riots were violent racism fomented by populism

Culture wars have poisoned political debate, normalised Islamophobia and opened wounds that a generation blighted by nativism hoped had closed

"The Britain of 2024 is by some measures the most unequal society in Europe. Real wages have not increased since 2008 and the lowest-income British households are 20% poorer than the lowest-income families in France."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/10/there-can-be-no-excuses-the-uk-riots-were-violent-racism-fomented-by-populism

UK workers £11,000 worse off after years of wage stagnation – thinktank

Resolution Foundation analysis suggests UK lagging behind similar economies such as Germany

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/mar/20/uuk-workers-wage-stagnation-resolution-foundation-thinktank

Stagnation nation: how can Britain pull itself out of its economic decline?

https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/economics/stagnation-nation-how-can-britain-pull-itself-out-of-its-economic-decline#:~:text=

 

[lenny]

New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights

A recently adopted United Nations treaty could lead to invasive digital surveillance, human rights experts warn

"The United Nations approved its first international cybercrime treaty yesterday. The effort succeeded despite opposition from tech companies and human rights groups, who warn that the agreement will permit countries to expand invasive electronic surveillance in the name of criminal investigations. Experts from these organizations say that the treaty undermines the global human rights of freedom of speech and expression because it contains clauses that countries could interpret to internationally prosecute any perceived crime that takes place on a computer system."

New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights

A recently adopted United Nations treaty could lead to invasive digital surveillance, human rights experts warn

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[lenny]

UK riots: 'Fill a water cannon with an indelible dye'

"DUE to the police being unable to use water cannon in this country (allowed in Northern Ireland) they are denied a cheap and simple way of identifying rioters: fill the cannon with an indelible dye and spray everyone then at a later, safer time, arrest anyone covered in the dye; they would not be able (as now) to deny being at the scene. "

UK riots: 'Fill a water cannon with an indelible dye and spray everyone'

Our letter writer suggests a cheap and simple way of identifying rioters: fill a water cannon with an indelible dye and spray everyone at the scene.

www.yorkpress.co.uk