Give Boris Some Credit

[Brigadier]

I would have thought that was obvious, it was a goal to be achieved, an ambition to be realised. The ability to achieve a goal depends enormously on the starting position. If you are in a worse position than you could have been, you are far less likely to achieve that goal.
Perhaps my previous comment might explain the situation a little more, as far as the 'leader surrounding himself with sycophants' is concerned.

I understood; I just wanted you to pin your colours to the mast (there's another metaphor of sorts), as to actually define the goal. You didn't disappoint me, in that you didn't.

And, to hammer home my point further.....

The ability to achieve a goal depends enormously on the starting position

........but entirely on that goal actually existing in the first place.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I just wanted you to pin your colours to the mast (there's another metaphor of sorts), as to actually define the goal

I wasn't aware that I had defined the goal. I thought I was defining the metaphorical place in Galway

........but entirely on that goal actually existing in the first place.

Of course, but if it exists for those sounding of with mass-appeal policies and unachievable goals, who have navigated themselves into a worse position, it exists for everyone. Unless of course, it doesn't exist at all.

 

[Brigadier]

Of course, but if it exists for those sounding of with mass-appeal policies and unachievable goals, it exists for everyone. Unless of course, it doesn't exist at all.

And there's the rub.
As we currently stand:

- no guarantee of vaccine, ever
- no guarantee of cure, ever
- no guarantee of effective treatment, ever
- only known effective strategy is social distancing / isolation
- pubs, clubs, team sports (participating, and gathering to watch) can not be restarted, perhaps ever
- some employment sectors will never restart

etc etc etc

Announce that on a Sunday teatime PM address to the nation, and see how it goes down.


A friend of mine used to say that "managing expectations" was a key skill.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

And there's the rub.
As we currently stand:

- no guarantee of vaccine, ever
- no guarantee of cure, ever
- no guarantee of effective treatment, ever
- only known effective strategy is social distancing / isolation
- pubs, clubs, team sports (participating, and gathering to watch) can not be restarted, perhaps ever
- some employment sectors will never restart

etc etc etc

Announce that on a Sunday teatime PM address to the nation, and see how it goes down.


A friend of mine used to say that "managing expectations" was a key skill.

We are where we are not because of some accident in nature, but because of the polices and decisions taken by successive governments over the last 10, 15 years, and especially those more recent decisions over the last few months.
None of those requirements listed by you would be such a high priority or issue, if we weren't where we are.

Thus back to Motiie's comment which initiated by involvement and my little story. His question was irrelevant. We are where we are due to decisions taken to get us here.

 

[Brigadier]

We are where we are not because of some accident in nature, but because of the polices and decisions taken by successive governments over the last 10, 15 years, and especially those more recent decisions over the last few months.
None of those requirements listed by you would be such a high priority or issue, if we weren't where we are.

What twaddle.
You cannot vaccinate, cure, or treat something that does not yet exist.

Even if we had a pile of PPE to the Moon, and ITU beds in every bedroom in the country, none of it would prevent the need for ceasing close social contact.

 

[ajohn]

Probably,maybe,might,wonder...Load of waffle ,devoid of fact.

But a dam site more knowledge about it all than you obviously have.

C4 doesn't much care which party they cause problems for. BBC a bit right.

 

[fillyboy]

Only credit Boris deserves is Universal credit after he has had a back to work assessment from IDS.

That was quite funny, well done Galahad.

 

[Notch7]

Announce that on a Sunday teatime PM address to the nation, and see how it goes down.

honesty would go down fine.....it helps manage expectations, as you said

Boris wanted to come back to work and be the one to take credit for kick starting the economy.....that is campaigning not governing.
why were details leaked to the press last week before his announcement fuelling speculation? -it was to maximise the number of people watching his pre recorded twaddle.

 

[Notch7]

We are where we are due to decisions taken to get us here.

the virus wouldve spread in the UK whatever decisions the govt took.

the govt response has been slow and lacked clarity, but no UK govt wouldve prevented a serious number of deaths, just not as bad as it has been

 

[EddieM]

I have never seen houses as just place to live, its an investment either for your dependants or yourself and thats how most of my friends see them, thanks for your wish to see prices crash, you do realise what that would cause don't you?

As tough as it sounds, I hope you and your friends get your fingers burnt then.

 

[SirGalahad]

As tough as it sounds, I hope you and your friends get your fingers burnt then.

Strong words but the sentiment I get is that there needs to be a rebalancing.

I can't remember off the top of my head but bank lending to households for property purchases amounts to about 75% of all Bank lending at about £7.5 trillion.

After the bank crisis of 2008, London House prices doubled - yes they have recently receded from their heights.

Home have become both a place to live and in investment because of the financialisation of our economy, our wealth is tied up into property. The value of the property has risen as the cost of borrowing has fallen, number of homes built has been restricted as well as the population has increased.

Selling that to homeowners will be hard.

 

[EddieM]

Strong words but the sentiment I get is that there needs to be a rebalancing.

I can't remember off the top of my head but bank lending to households for property purchases amounts to about 75% of all Bank lending at about £7.5 trillion.

After the bank crisis of 2008, London House prices doubled - yes they have recently receded from their heights.

Home have become both a place to live and in investment because of the financialisation of our economy, our wealth is tied up into property. The value of the property has risen as the cost of borrowing has fallen, number of homes built has been restricted as well as the population has increased.

Selling that to homeowners will be hard.

Yes, it needs rebalancing, but as you note there isn't an easy way of doing that, with 20:20 hindsight what should have been done was to not allow the housing market to run to such a ridiculous bubble. Bubbles always pop, the bigger the bubble the bigger the pop.

 

[SirGalahad]

Yes, it needs rebalancing, but as you note there isn't an easy way of doing that, with 20:20 hindsight what should have been done was to not allow the housing market to run to such a ridiculous bubble. Bubbles always pop, the bigger the bubble the bigger the pop.

The bubble now is seen by many as too big to pop so it gets propped up by HTB schemes which does nothing other than sustain the prices. One way to affect change is to consider that the cost of land has increased even though the actual build costs has not changed as much.

As long ago as 1909, Winston Churchill, then promoting Lloyd George’s “people’s budget” and its controversial measures to tax land, told an audience in Edinburgh that the landowner “sits still and does nothing” while reaping vast gains from land improvements by the municipality, such as roads, railways, power from generators and water from reservoirs far away. “Every one of those improvements is effected by the labour and the cost of other people … To not one of those improvements does the land monopolist contribute, and yet by every one of them the value of his land is sensibly enhanced … he contributes nothing even to the process from which his own enrichment is derived.”

Time to tax land properly - great chance to do it now. But it won't happen.

When Adam Smith referred to free markets he was referring to free from economic rent and the state being captured by the merchant elites but over time it has been twisted to mean free from regulation.

He had a nuanced view.

 

[Notch7]

Yes, it needs rebalancing, but as you note there isn't an easy way of doing that, with 20:20 hindsight what should have been done was to not allow the housing market to run to such a ridiculous bubble. Bubbles always pop, the bigger the bubble the bigger the pop.

a post Covid marshall plan is needed -and housing issue needs to be addressed, by a major council house initiative or by land value tax or similar scheme. I used to have a landlord for the commercial premises I had -the landlord got lucky by buying at the right time and now all he has to do is collect the rent every month. Easy job.

 

[SirGalahad]

a post Covid marshall plan is needed -and housing issue needs to be addressed, by a major council house initiative or by land value tax or similar scheme. I used to have a landlord for the commercial premises I had -the landlord got lucky by buying at the right time and now all he has to do is collect the rent every month. Easy job.

Quote them some churchill - his views on Land Tax were correct.