Sir Keir Starmer says his party will stop speculators blocking building and will give councils power to designate sites for large scale development. These are two worthy objectives with one gigantic proviso. Both initiatives are aligned with the market; not enforced on open market without full open market value compensation, including 100% hope value when … Continue reading Labour’s Approach

The PM and the Chancellor want to promote growth locally, provided it will not alienate their electors or MP's. This growth mind-set is welcome. Fear of alienating their voting base is reality too. But the new homes, the infrastructure and the growth they want will not happen without one key ingredient: local leadership. Several decades … Continue reading Growth Plan

Our new PM, Liz Truss says that to grow the size of the pie she is prepared to take on vested interests. In which case will she take on Tory councillors and MP’s in the rural shires who block new housing? To do so needs a mental switch to long term policy thinking. This is … Continue reading Vested interests and the housing deficit

With clarity I recall watching a television programme for the first time as a young school boy. Her Majesty’s coronation in 1953. You set a very high bar for discretion, integrity, and judgement. Thank you for the lesson. Following it as an entrepreneur, with infrequent mentors was often nearly impossible. Perhaps it is easier now … Continue reading Thanks and hope

Tempting as it is to say dream on, instead it is better to look at why this is not likely. Dambisa Moyo, an economist published Edge of Chaos in 2018. From p.136 I quote ‘The root cause of this skepticism about democracy is also the crux of the forces that have brought us to the … Continue reading Will we get a housing policy from Liz Truss?