Rabbie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]One of the earliest exponents of Right to Buy was none other than the late Tony Benn.[/quote]Doesn't that show it was a loony idea[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Totally nuts, Rabbie, especially when you end up paying inflated rents to private landlords, b & b's, and hotels to house those who do need public housing.A society of something for nothing....I fear we are all heading that way [:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 What was often overlooked with the "right to buy" wheeze was that the real buyer was often not even the tenant. It was the tenant's children. Elderly tenants were able to buy their council houses for a fraction of their market value but most hadn't of course saved anything and couldn't get mortgages. So the kids put up the cash. The houses had to be bought in the tenant's names so a separate "declaration of trust" was signed to ensure that the sale proceeds (once the claw-back period had expired) were paid to the kids. They couldn't lose. Most even dodged capital gains tax on their profit as the houses were registered in the parents' names at the Land Registry so it looked like a sale by the owner occupier (or their executors) and was therefore regarded as an exempt disposal. This bonanza no doubt led to the conversion of a lot of the children of traditional Labour supporters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]One of the earliest exponents of Right to Buy was none other than the late Tony Benn.[/quote] So are you telling us that Anthony Wedgewood Benn, former peer Lord Stansgate was living in a council house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 [quote user="Alan Zoff"]This bonanza no doubt led to the conversion of a lot of the children of traditional Labour supporters.[/quote]Do you mean that their eventual 'windfall' (or prospect of) converted someone who was a naturally Labour voter into a Conservative? I'm sure it's much more complex than that and a windfall would not make a conversion instant or permanent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I'm quite sure of it, having dealt with a lot of these cases.The best bit is when they use the the trust to argue that the house can't be sold to pay for the parents' care as it's not their house. And why should those who have saved all their lives have to sell their homes to pay for their care?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 [quote user="NickP"][quote user="woolybanana"]One of the earliest exponents of Right to Buy was none other than the late Tony Benn.[/quote] So are you telling us that Anthony Wedgewood Benn, former peer Lord Stansgate was living in a council house?[/quote]No more than Margaret Thatcher did. Both she and Benn could see the attractions of selling off the houses and thus saving on maintenance. Where, IMO, Thatcher was wrong was not to allow the capital raised to be used to build more social housing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Sense of humour not working this weekend Robbie? [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 It's working fine thanks. Just didn't think your first post was humorous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 "Why on earth would people want to live in the London/Paris conurbations otherwise. Rural living nowadays is only an hour or two from these centres "Some people, and I include myself among them, do actually live in these areas by choice. Not everyone wants to live out in the sticks . Both my sons live closer to Central London than I do, and both would live closer still if they could. One commutes "out" from his home to workplace, choosing to live closer to London than he works.Some prefer country living. Many do not. I have lived in large conurbations all my life, and it's where I'm happiest. Assuming that people don't live in cities by choice is just trying to impose your values and preferences on others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I love being out in the countryside, but visiting, holidaying is all I would ever do now. We have lots of friends in the UK who now, in their fifties and sixties have moved into cities and sometimes city centres. And I know a few french ones too who have made that choice too. They love the life style........ oooo that expression........... as there is lots to do. I suppose when I was young and we were looking for land, there was something 'romantic' about the idea of living in the middle of nowhere with fantastic views. And then my practical side stood it's ground and we found a dynamic village, which serviced lots of smaller villages, some quite remote. No way on earth could I even live in a dynamic village again, because a dynamic village is only relative to what is available elsewhere like a town or city...... and now for me the town / city wins hands down! I live in a town and could easily live in a city again, as I did when I first moved to France.I wouldn't have missed french city living for the world, as there is literally the world of difference between living in a french city and en plein campagne! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote user="You can call me Betty"]"Why on earth would people want to live in the London/Paris conurbations otherwise. Rural living nowadays is only an hour or two from these centres " Some people, and I include myself among them, do actually live in these areas by choice. Not everyone wants to live out in the sticks . Both my sons live closer to Central London than I do, and both would live closer still if they could. One commutes "out" from his home to workplace, choosing to live closer to London than he works. Some prefer country living. Many do not. I have lived in large conurbations all my life, and it's where I'm happiest. Assuming that people don't live in cities by choice is just trying to impose your values and preferences on others.[/quote]I agree with this analysis. I happen to belong to the minority who would rather live in the country in relative isolation but as I get older I feel a need to move closer to civilisation albeit in the form of a village. I now want to be in walking distance of a village shop and a good bar. I suppose this is a realisation that there may come a time when driving oneself may not be an option and I do not wish to be too isolated when that occurs. Having been brought up in the country I have always found cities a little daunting and while I enjoyed living in them for two relatively short periods of my life I never really missed them when I moved back to a more rural environment.Still it would be a very boring world if we all agreed on everything and I am grateful that so many want to live in the large cities - it means the country is less crowded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 'Walking distance'!!! I'd love to know what that really means, because I thought I knew until a few weeks ago, when I had a problem, walk about 15 metres, making it a further 30 metres in total off my route, to another shop and risk NOT being able to walk back to my car, or just simply try and get back to my car some 50 metres away, and it was a struggle. I do have better days, but it isn't as if my legs advertise the fact that they are not going to work........ or in fact work[:D]My Dad, who has gone from being at the gym every day a couple of years ago and putting 50 odd years younger folks to shame...... to practically being unable to put one foot in front of the other. And HE said, why didn't I go to the shop he wanted me to go to. Well, it was no longer in walking distance for me.So careful what you think is walking distance. I am very limited these days and my Dad, well, he can hardly walk.My husband's uncle and aunt moved in his mid 70's, when I asked why they had moved to the top of quite a steep hill, they said, that they were still fell walking when they moved. Ten years later, it is taxis or family cars as he can no longer walk or drive and his wife never did.And yes, I stick with town living and a good view from here never the less and a bus stop outside the door these days with an excellent service, and which has recently improved and that was a pleasant surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Sorry to hear about your problems but as my mother and father were both active until they died I am not going to compromise my quality of life at present for the sake of what might happen in the future. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.As I said previously we must all make the choices that are best for us. It would be very dull if we all thought the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 I suppose I loathe and detest the act of moving home so much that I have now moved to somewhere that covers most scenarios I can possibly think of for the future and also most certainly being what I need and want for now. Maybe I have become too french in my ways, where it is 'normal' not move if one owns one's own property and that suits me[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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