If you were actively trying to lose votes in Scotland and Wales you'd struggle to improve on this
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Plan for 40 affordable homes is 'preposterous' and 'massive over-development', say objecting councillors
Maybe build the homes and walk to school?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Not sure I understand how Big Yellow can be Berkeley's 'biggest competitor for land' - unless it's because building self-storage unit is a way of sitting on land until you can sell it for even more?
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
1. From long-term savings in local housing allowance on much higher private rents and costs of temporary accommodation
2. Could be on new sites or regeneration of existing estates
3. Council tax does not pay for social housing but one of main financial pressures on councils is homelessness, see 1.
'If we really want to get a sea change in social housing delivery, the way HM Treasury views investment in housing must shift'
labourlist.org/2026/03/hous...
The freeholders’ argument - dismissed by Gove and Rayner but partly backed by treasury - is that retrospective legislation on ground rents will damage investor confidence in uk economy as a whole
Nice line from @liamspender.bsky.social earlier about freeholders being 'dinosaurs looking at the asteroid'
Cross-party consensus on leasehold reform just now between double act of Michael Gove and Angela Rayner at HCLG committee - message to govt to stick to its guns and resist lobbying from freeholders, financial interests and Treasury and maybe move faster
So it’s unlawful to take part in or do anything to support an illegal war… but if the target of that illegal war retaliates then said war becomes legal 🤔
As the laid off Middle East News Editor, I concur. Management eliminated the positions of every single staff correspondent and bureau chief in the Middle East.
Finally, a column to get on board with
The bot is much better than the real thing
In honour of the Sunday Telegraph's editor and offical maddest columnist, we have created the Allister Heath headline generator...
stirring-fox-7e1fab.netlify.app
This sounds like it has more to do with interest rates and construction costs than the property market as such - but if John Lewis can’t make plans for 10,000 homes stack up on land it already owns what does that say about rest of market?
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
London’s “worst mass eviction in recent history” is underway; hundreds of households across London told to get out of their homes this week by the same landlord, ahead of the renters rights act. The landlord? Billionaire Asif Aziz’s Criterion Capital. www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...
The Secret Agent more than lived up to its ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews or maybe I’m just a soft touch for Brazilian films set in the 1970s
With all the respect in the world to James Milner, football was not invented by Rupert Murdoch
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
First they want to penalise women for not having children, now they want to penalise them for having more than two
www.ft.com/content/8cc5...
As if The Ashes weren't bad enough, the Aussies are even outdoing us for cricket comedy now
www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...
This made me think of a friend who has family in Finland. When they visit Britain they laugh at our houses because they're so badly insulated
Chickenpox is the one I remember least fondly...
If I'm remembering correctly the irony is that the people most at risk could be anti-vaxer adults who weren't vaccinated themselves?
Could be wrong but I think it's worst for babies but better for children than for adults? Risk of hospitalisation higher etc? I don't think having had chickenpox as a child necessarily stops you getting shingles though as just been offered vaccine for that
Growing up in the 60s before vaccines, I remember my parents sending me to play with other kids who had measles and mumps (and them with me). Maybe with chickenpox too? Think the idea was to catch them young as they are much more serious when you're older
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
This is very good - and the focus on pub names and what they signify is brilliant
Yes I remember meeting district councillors in the 80s (from areas just like this) who were vehemently opposed to the right to buy. Think this will become a big issue as HAs face up to new Decent Homes Standard etc and business logic doesn’t fit with local need
'It’s about keeping community housing in the hands of the community'
Quite a turn-up for Conservative councillors to criticise sales of former council homes by housing associations
www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hit...
Just when Keir Starmer thought things can’t get any worse
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
🏡 The APPG for Council and Social Housing has launched!
With 72 parliamentarians already on board, we’ll soon be sharing evidence, insights and parliamentary activity focused on delivering council and social housing nationwide.
Stay tuned — and get in touch if you'd like to get involved!
