...UNFORTUNATELY YOU CAN'T TRUST IT TO BE A GOOD IDEA
Secondly, of course, if we hadn't sold off most of the stock of council houses, or at least all the decent ones, we would have had more smaller houses. But you'll remember that the Tories, under Margaret Thatcher, arranged for them to be sold off cheap. Then, when Labour was in power in Scotland with the Liberals, that government continued to sell public housing, aping Conservative policy, and they didn't build any new ones to make up for it.
For eight years they failed dismally to deal with the problem. There were not enough one bedroomed houses, and there were more and more people living alone and requiring them.
How dim was that?
To avoid a tax, imposed upon us by a government we did not vote for, and which was voted against by all Labour Scottish MPs in the House of Commons (except Alistair Darling who couldn't be bothered to drag his lazy arse into Westminster to vote about it), and all SNP MPs, massively outnumbering the Liberals and the one Tory Scotland elected, what we need to do, Rhoda Grant, is have an independent Scotland, which wouldn't have sold off the houses in the first place and would have continued to build as the need arose. And finally, which would never want to impose a tax that would undoubtedly make poor people homeless.
Doesn't anyone in Labour have a clue?
Answer is No.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry too much about the bedroom tax tris. The EU Human Rights Act will soon ban it. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 will have more holes than a typhoo tea bag.
ReplyDeleteI think we should worry a great deal about the bedroom tax as this a European model so I think you will fin d that Europe won't touch this with a barge poll. I believe Finland and Sweden use this model but of course the levels poverty in these countries is far less than here.
DeleteWoe is me, I'm getting worried about this bedroom tax. I have three spare bedrooms which I use for letting out to visitors, my children, my former foster children and various friends for which I charge an exorbitant five-star premium rate. Surely under a Tory government I will not be, uniquely, penalised for being a greedy and rich bastard.
ReplyDeleteIncidently I noticed earlier that Niko was giving various definitions for "separate". I imagine this was to illustrate that separation was the same as "independence". Of course they are not the same.
Up here, in faerie lands forlorn, we have to, by order of the wee frees and quite rightly too, SEPARATE the cockerels from the hens on a Sunday to prevent fowl fornication on that day. Now, if we were to grant them INDEPENDENCE as opposed to separation, with the consequential orgies, who knows where it might lead. I imagine that plagues, famine or even, heaven forbid, the election of Jo Lamont as First Minister in an independent Scotland. No, sorry, I cannot imagine any god being cruel enough to impose the latter on us.
Thought not, Marcia... but felt it best to check :)
ReplyDeleteGood Monty. I know some people who will be made homeless by it. And as far as I can see there is no way round it, except it being declared illegal.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to set your mind at ease there, John. If you are a greedy bastard, you will doubtless be fine. The Tories don't like to stifle greed, er, I mean enterprise. You should, by the same principle be fine about avoiding tax on the income frmm letting out these bedrooms.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you neglect to SEPARATE the hens and the cockerels, a plague will descent upon the land, the population will burst out in boils, and David Muddle will be appointed Viceroy of these hills and glens...
Even God in a real stinker of a temper wouldn't inflict Lament on us.
I hope that makes you feel better on you long hike across the hills with your donkey to deposit your gold bars with the island's branch of J P Morgan-Blair.
Your picture brings back childhood memories only we did not have the luxury of one to a bed Two at the top and two at the bottom was the norm Oh happy days! and the baby put in a drawer which was taken out of the chest of drawers at night to be used as a cot Who could ask for more?
ReplyDeleteWell clearly Fairfor, the Tories thought that one shouldn't ask for more, unless of course one was one of them, in which case 14 or 15 spare bedrooms is perfectly OK.
ReplyDeleteSomeone said that Buckingham palace has 200+ bedrooms, and it's a council house, and the Queen only has one of her children at home, Andy Airmiles, so she should see her subsidy coming down a fair bit. Charlie likewise in his great big Clarence House. I imagine that Eton Dave will need to do something about paying more for Downing Street and Chequers too.
Or maybe not. It only applies to the poor.
Horrible union. Horrible ethos. Horrible Tories.
That isn't official labour policy, cheap shots from desperate cybernats.
ReplyDeleteDean
DeleteLabour have refused to confirm they will reverse it which is basically saying it stays but we won't admit it until our sheep have voted us red Tories back in. We will then go on to make you even poorer as we out Tory the Tories. Labour are scum and supporters misguided,this party no more represent the poor than I am a Dundee United fan.
ReplyDeleteThe solution to the Window Tax was to brick up the windows.
Isn't the solution to this for people just to brick up access to their spare room?
No, Dean. I said that Labour voted against this policy and the English Tories ignored Scotland's position.
ReplyDeleteMs Grant may not be giving Labour's position, but she is a Labour MSP. Labour's position was to not build any houses and sell whatever they had got, which was also Mrs Thatcher's policy.
Tris
DeleteI think Labour voted against the package of reform but refuse to discuss what they would reverse, I might be wrong though as I tend to ignore them now.
Yes Bruce. Labour voted soliuday with the SNP, except for Mr Darling who was too busy to bother.
DeleteI don't know that anyone has a specific alternative. Certainly the SNP policy is to build houses.
LOL...Yeah that sounds like a plan, Anon. Then they could unbrick them at night when they need them, because the wife is unwell or the husband is snoring too much or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteWould do wonders for the cement industry !
tris and assorted Malcontents
ReplyDeleteI shall see if she did say this and in what context
being unable to trust the snp propaganda machine.
And if she did I will be very very angry FFS
Rhoda Grant – The Scottish Budget -speech in the Scottish Parliament
DeleteWe need to build smaller homes to help families to avoid that tax, because families—real people—are facing poverty or homelessness, and the Government has done nothing but cut the funding that would build homes in which they could live.
Oh noooooooooooooo, Niko. Please don't be VERY angry.
ReplyDeleteAll right she is a knobhead who obviously does not know how long it takes to build
ReplyDeletehouses let alone were or whether one bedroomed homes are sensible.
And seem to accept??? when Glorious Labour sweeps back into power
At Holyrood and Westminster to widespread acclamation of the public.
WE will carry on the ignominious policy of the bedroom tax
poster girl
DeleteYeah well we do hate the snp beyond the bounds of reason
Delete“In time we hate that which we often fear.”
I would happily throw meself off a cliff face if
I could take all the snp with me
tris
ReplyDeletePetula Clark's new album comes 57 years after her first and contains some astonishing moments. Have a listen and let us know your thoughts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/feb/15/petula-clark-lost-in-you-stream
That's better, Niko. Of course you will. It's just the kind of jolly policy that the Colonel and his good lady wife would approve of. It will go down well in Eastbourne.
ReplyDeleteBut never mind it's Ed's aspiration to reintroduce the 10p tax that they doubled under Gordon. So let's look forward to that...
But don't throw yourself off a cliff. Taz would be broken hearted, even if you are a unionist.
Thanks for sending me the streaming of Pet's album. I'd only heard the odd clip and of course the single "Cut Copy Me". It's not a bad album at all. Love "Does that make me Crazy?"
There does need to be reform in the welfare system but as always its not those that are cheating the system that will be caught. And this is just another badly thought out policy, regardless of whether Tory, Labour etc.....
ReplyDelete