It has been suggested that a Scottish Prime Minister with no mandate from the English people should have no say in Housing policy. Unusually for me, I am going to come to his defence.
First, I know immigration is often blamed for the housing shortage, but do we really want to get to a point where Vodafone cannot employ people they need from abroad where the position cannot be filled domestically? Immigration cannot be blanket-stopped in a First World economy.
Also one should note that the first cause of the housing shortage — the one that makes most difference to house prices and the number needed — is the number of smaller households. Single people and older people are living alone more than was historically the case and the number of divorces is also having an impact.
Finally, the people deciding housing policy in England are currently the unelected Regional Assemblies. Quite honestly I would rather Her Majesty’s Government, with the mandate of all Britain (including a majority of English MPs), was the one to decide where we have the new homes we need than Regional Assemblies.
We have a stark choice between having a European-style system of home ownership where only the rich can afford to buy and the majority rent, a country full of high-rise soul-less buildings or one of a few fewer fields. I know that the answer is no single one of those, but compromise must be sought in my humble opinion.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I don’t think the issue is about a blanket stop on immigration, the issue is to put a stop on immigration from outside the EU (we don’t have any choice when it comes to EU citizens) to satiate the low skilled labour market. These are the only roles that are realistically available to the feckless and indolent sections of society, as it stands they’re rewarded for not working by an excessive welfarist approach and forced out of the labour market by lower cost immigrant workers, both of which perpetuate long-term benefits dependency which UK taxpayers fund.
I personally believe we should stick to only importing skilled labour from outside the EU and push the indolent into filling the low skilled positions by removing the option of long-term benefits dependency.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Absolutely. As I understand it though, we only allow immigration from outside the EU of wives/husbands and skilled labour already…
May 14th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Gav, I agree that Regional Assemblies should have a say on where housing goes. Can I plug my West Midlands NO! Campaign? Thanks.
Should Her Majesty’s Government have a say on housing and planning in England? Tricky. MPs elected in England should have a say - preferably via an English Executive - but MPs elected in Scotland, including Gordon Brown if he is to be Prime Minister? Not at all.
As you can’t split the UK Government into English and non-English MPs for English affairs (no matter how hard the Tories try to convince us it will work) then we have a problem. I am comfortable, for the time being, for MPs elected in England to make this decision but I won’t tolerate an MP elected in Scotland who wasn’t elected for policies on housing and planning and who doesn’t have a say over the same issues in Scotland dictating to us on this devolved issue.
May 14th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Okay, I agree that an English Parliament is the solution to this problem. But given that we don’t have one and that there’s no prospect under Brown of having one, I would rather he makes the decision than Regional Assemblies.
Oh, and I haven’t deleted your West Midlands NO! campaign plug!
May 15th, 2007 at 12:30 am
again the immigration double speak from Gav.
The reality is without immigration Englands population would be falling and therefore housing would be cheap. Immigration is causing the massive house price inflation relative to the rest of the economy causing young English people not to be able to afford to buy homes in their own towns & villages, this is a betrayal by the elites against the low class English people, (nothing new there).
Immigants are not all here to work thats just typical libertarian nonsense.
http://ukcommentators.blogspot.com/2007/05/arrivederci-roma.html
May 15th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Why should we settle for either Gav? Accepting something we don’t want because it’s the lesser of two evils only perpetuates the underlying problem. You’re basically giving Gordon Brown a mandate when he doesn’t have one.
May 15th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
We have a three-way choice:
1. Fight for an English Parliament and argue against every decision that could or should be made by an English Parliament until we get it regardless of the consequences in the meantime.
2. Fight for an English Parliament but also accept that the British Parliament has more of a mandate for governing England than do the Regional Assemblies and fight for power to be taken from Regional Assemblies whenever possible by said British Parliament while making clear that the power should lie with the English Parliament.
3. Fight the issues without reference to an English Parliament at all.
I prefer 2 to 1.
Dave, Yes immigration has an effect on house prices but it isn’t the most significant impact and it shouldn’t be used as a reason by the same people who argue for the EU…
May 16th, 2007 at 3:23 am
Yes immigration is one of the most significant effects on housing. 30 years ago there was only 45-50 million people living in Britain, now there is 60 million offically, but probably a lot more. Thats a substantial increase in population especially for a small country like Britain.
We do not have an infinate amount of space to build on, therefore it becomes more difficult and more expensive the bigger we become.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:24 pm
I wish ex`RAF base Coltishall was earmarked foe an Eco and Science City, in Norfolk, rather than languishing with a silly Prison or immigration centre proposal currently
A bit of vision and investment could see this site put to visionary and productive use.