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I stand by everything I said Naomi, and ymb's post said something about "scum" so I am ignoring it for being divisive and uncalled for. Its phrases like "scum" that turns any level-headed debate on immigration into a ill-tempered and ignorant rant.
TTT....you have agreed with my on previous occasions about building more Council houses, and that is good because this isn't a party-political issue. It was when the Government of the time ignored common sense and sold off the council housing stock in such a way that we are left with the woeful situation that we have today. But all that is nearly 30 years ago, and we need to think outside of the box when it comes to housing. We have tried the "buy to let" idea and its failed miserably in that it just aids and abets the huge house price inflation bubble, which has made areas of our country unlivable except for the already wealthy.
If a program of large-scale social housing was to be undertaken, it would go a long way to improving millions of peoples lives. it would also give all the advantages that outlined earlier.
Areas like London and the South East will never see house price deflation of a sufficient degree to allow ordinary people to buy their own homes ever again. Average houses prices in parts off the capital are now edging towards £1 million, and that is just for an ordinary semi-detached, not a mansion on Park Lane.
And its not just London...house prices are far outstripping incomes all over the country. The only practical way to help the next generation to have somewhere to live is affordable rental housing, and if we allow the private sector anywhere near it, it will soon be snouts in the trough again.