The Politics Thread

[William the White]

Bob Crow's council house

Doing a good job for his members.

House looks almost as nice as Bruce's... Maybe he's got a bonny new kitchen n all... And that car looks like Bruce's as well...

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I find it a bizarre argument that because you live in a council house you should have to give it up once you're earning (to some) a decent wage. Will we be turning high earners away from A&E next, on the basis that they can afford to go private

Not quite the same thing. Anyone can walk into A&E and get treatment a bit of a wait. The same doesn't apply with council housing. If I walked into the council office and asked for one I'd be laughed out of there, despite earning less than Crow.

I don't believe you would be laughed out of the Council Office - I think just about anyone can apply for a Council House.

That doesn't of course suggest you'd be anywhere near the top of the priority list (or even near the middle of it or anywhere above right near the bottom of it)

I was thinking they'd be laughing at the fact I'd never get off the bottom of the list

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Bob Crow's council house

Doing a good job for his members.

House looks almost as nice as Bruce's... Maybe he's got a bonny new kitchen n all... And that car looks like Bruce's as well...

Yes, but I think the point is that Bruce's isn't social housing.

[Lord Kangana]

I'm incredibly confused.

I thought we'd established quite clearly that the best incentive to do a good job was to pay people more money?

Are we now saying that in fact that isn't so?

[William the White]

Bob Crow's council house

Doing a good job for his members.

House looks almost as nice as Bruce's... Maybe he's got a bonny new kitchen n all... And that car looks like Bruce's as well...

Yes, but I think the point is that Bruce's isn't social housing.

Do you think he should be made to move house? On what grounds?

[Worthy4England]

I'm incredibly confused.

I thought we'd established quite clearly that the best incentive to do a good job was to pay people more money?

Are we now saying that in fact that isn't so?

Unless you happen to be "not a tory" or involved with the Unions, in which case "feck the free market", you should live in a tent, and earn much less than the average wage, and absolutely, positively, never drink champagne - even at a wedding.

[Harry Genshaw]

I find it a bizarre argument that because you live in a council house you should have to give it up once you're earning (to some) a decent wage. Will we be turning high earners away from A&E next, on the basis that they can afford to go private

Not quite the same thing. Anyone can walk into A&E and get treatment a bit of a wait. The same doesn't apply with council housing. If I walked into the council office and asked for one I'd be laughed out of there, despite earning less than Crow.

I know, but Bob Crow would get laughed out of there too if he went in today

Just cos he got a house when he, or his family, were in need, shouldn't mean he now has to give it up, surely?

[Bruce Rioja]

House looks almost as nice as Bruce's... Maybe he's got a bonny new kitchen n all... And that car looks like Bruce's as well...

I own my house (including the bonny new kitchen - when it arrives) and am not depriving someone more needy than I of a council house. That looks nothing like my car, well, beyond having a wheel in each corner. I don't own my car - I do get taxed to feck on it though.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I find it a bizarre argument that because you live in a council house you should have to give it up once you're earning (to some) a decent wage. Will we be turning high earners away from A&E next, on the basis that they can afford to go private

Not quite the same thing. Anyone can walk into A&E and get treatment a bit of a wait. The same doesn't apply with council housing. If I walked into the council office and asked for one I'd be laughed out of there, despite earning less than Crow.

I know, but Bob Crow would get laughed out of there too if he went in today

Just cos he got a house when he, or his family, were in need, shouldn't mean he now has to give it up, surely?

I do think in this day and age, given the lack of social housing and never ending waiting lists, that a more needy family than Crow's should get preference. I believe Crow is on in excess of 100k a year, which would put a significant proportion of the waiting list in far more need than him. I understand there are practicalities to administrate this, but in clear examples such as Crow, I don't think it is too extreme to expect him to either buy or enter the private rental market.

[Worthy4England]

I find it a bizarre argument that because you live in a council house you should have to give it up once you're earning (to some) a decent wage. Will we be turning high earners away from A&E next, on the basis that they can afford to go private

Not quite the same thing. Anyone can walk into A&E and get treatment a bit of a wait. The same doesn't apply with council housing. If I walked into the council office and asked for one I'd be laughed out of there, despite earning less than Crow.

I know, but Bob Crow would get laughed out of there too if he went in today

Just cos he got a house when he, or his family, were in need, shouldn't mean he now has to give it up, surely?

I do think in this day and age, given the lack of social housing and never ending waiting lists, that a more needy family than Crow's should get preference. I believe Crow is on in excess of 100k a year, which would put a significant proportion of the waiting list in far more need than him. I understand there are practicalities to administrate this, but in clear examples such as Crow, I don't think it is too extreme to expect him to either buy or enter the private rental market.

The more needy family, would get preference, if he went in today. No doubt about that. But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago. At what sort of threshold, do you start moving people out of Social Housing? Do you move folks out, on that principle, if someone turns up with nowt + benefits and someone with £20k per annum + benefits has a house, because one is "more needy"? Where does the line get drawn? Do you consider how long someone has lived in a particular house, or just kick them out anyhow?

It does seem to me that it's not at all unreasonable to expect someone who's earning what he's earning to fend for themselves and not rely on limited social housing, but I'm not sure the level that the line gets drawn at - and what do you do with people who fluctuate around whatever that level is?

[Bruce Rioja]

But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago.

That house isn't 30 years old though. He could have done the decent thing at the time of moving. Shirley there's more an onus on him to do what's right and proper than there is on his local authority to house him.

And people brand Tories as being selfish? Have a look at this nice person.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I'm not going to put a number to it as I honestly don't know what it should be. I do believe that someone earning 100k plus for a number of years should be moved on with reasonable notice. If we can tell people that have a bedroom too many to move on or pay up then it shouldn't be a stretch to expect Crow and those in a similar position to pay up. Maybe the answer is that those in Crow's situation pay market rates and the extra revenue is used to build new social housing. Whatever the answer is, the current situation is definitely not the right answer.

[Worthy4England]

I'm not going to put a number to it as I honestly don't know what it should be. I do believe that someone earning 100k plus for a number of years should be moved on with reasonable notice. If we can tell people that have a bedroom too many to move on or pay up then it shouldn't be a stretch to expect Crow and those in a similar position to pay up. Maybe the answer is that those in Crow's situation pay market rates and the extra revenue is used to build new social housing. Whatever the answer is, the current situation is definitely not the right answer.

Yeah, I agree. I think the market rates argument is probably the right one. There's apparently 20,000+ council homes where the occupiers earn more the £60k...

[Prufrock]

I think there could be a better system whereby those earning certain amounts pay more, as AT says, without having to kick folk out of their houses.

But steady on, it's not his fault that's the system. He's no more obligated to feck off out of his house, legally or morally, than Amazon and Google are to pay more tax than they had to. It's the systems fault in both cases - and one costs more than the other!

[Worthy4England]

But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago.

That house isn't 30 years old though. He could have done the decent thing at the time of moving. Shirley there's more an onus on him to do what's right and proper than there is on his local authority to house him.

And people brand Tories as being selfish? Have a look at this tw*t.

Not sure about the age of the house to be honest. He could be a secret Tory (he's in No2EU - so he'd fit right in on the Eurosceptic wing) - he's never been a member of the Labour Party - so yeah down with Commies...

[Bruce Rioja]

he's in No2EU

The leader, no less. Cheers, I'd never heard of them until you mentioned them. I now have yet another a new avenue for my vitriol.

[Harry Genshaw]

But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago.

That house isn't 30 years old though. He could have done the decent thing at the time of moving. Shirley there's more an onus on him to do what's right and proper than there is on his local authority to house him.

And people brand Tories as being selfish? Have a look at this tw*t.

Aye but if he went and bought, say Billy Braggs house, you'd be on his case then

[Worthy4England]

But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago.

That house isn't 30 years old though. He could have done the decent thing at the time of moving. Shirley there's more an onus on him to do what's right and proper than there is on his local authority to house him.

And people brand Tories as being selfish? Have a look at this tw*t.

Aye but if he went and bought, say Billy Braggs house, you'd be on his case then

I bet we'd get a picture posted of that!

[Bruce Rioja]

But he didn't. He went in 30 years ago.

That house isn't 30 years old though. He could have done the decent thing at the time of moving. Shirley there's more an onus on him to do what's right and proper than there is on his local authority to house him.

And people brand Tories as being selfish? Have a look at this tw*t.

Aye but if he went and bought, say Billy Braggs house, you'd be on his case then

Oh I don't know. If I were to receive a ticket for one of the champagne and lobster pool parties......... you know?!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

If I walked into the council office and asked for [a house] I'd be laughed out of there.

That's because AT, Dubai council only does Council Tents. (and motability camels...)