General Politics Thread

[Loondave1]

I've only just bought a house has been one of the most infuriating experiences of my life.
Even if you manage to save a 5% deposit, you're working off an interest rate that will end up having you pay back over £2 for every £1 you borrow ( I gather that interest rates aren't what they were, but neither are the increases in house value either)
Even if you get by that, you've still got to compete with people who are either already on the market or these fuckers looking to buy a second home and lease it out. I found myself being outbid by 10k over the market price (which for anybody that doesn't know, you have to find yourself) of what I had at every avenue.
Even if you get by all that, you've still got to find another 1.5-2k for soliticors for what I can only describe an inept b*****ding middle men. We couldn't even get the title and deed because the selling soliticors, with the entire six weeks of notice couldn't file the correct exiting paperwork with the bank. I thought I had saved myself some LBTT tax in Scotland for first time buyers, but they can't even implement it for when the new tax year begins (it was two weeks ago, and it's now some time in June).
I only got on because we're taking on a fixer-upper. I didn't want to risk touching a new build, even though they tend to be your best bets for a 5% deposit. The walls look like they're made out of paper mache alone, not to mention they all look the fucking same.
I had decided to look for the flat I was renting just to see how much the rent was going up out of curiosity (about an increase of £70 a month, even though the place is falling to bits). The biggest difference I noticed however was the amount of flats that are being churned out on websites like zoopla and espc. Every day, when it came to looking for new flats in Edinburgh for sale, you'd find maybe three or four every day, and they'd tend to go within a fortnight.
When I looked at new flats for rent in Edinburgh you had a good two/three pages for new flats. [emoji38] Our flat went within a week. I wonder with all the student accomodation being built and it not even being the time of year where they'd be looking, where the hell all these people come from!
It's a fucking well frightening state of affairs for Edinburgh. I can only imagine what it's like elsewhere

The market for flats in Edinburgh is red hot at the moment. Flogged mine in Leith last summer for an idiotic amount in two days and bought a house in East Lothian for an extra 40k. I first bought in 88 when my pitifull 8k salary x 3 just limped over the line for a scabby room and kitchen tenement job. Just lucky to get on board at the time and realise that not claiming some grand plan. Interest rates running at close to 15% meant a monthly interest bill of about £300 for a few years until "Black Friday" and the Tories fictional reputation for fiscal reliability crashed and burned. If i was trying to replicate my path to home ownership now i would be laughed out of the Building Society on day one. I could actually afford to buy a rental now but my fantasy of being a "responsible landlord" clashes with my wife's belief i would be no better morally than the other leeches hoovering up inflated rental prices. We have really screwed up housing for the young and the only saving grace is many may inherit their own home when they are about 60 and their parents croak. That of course assumes the parents don't remortgage and spend it all on jet skis and ride on lawnmowers. The only positive is the flatlining of interest rates but the massive inflation of the borrowing level negates that anyway.

[NotThePars]

Aye I’m lucky enough that I’ll inherit a home in around 20-30 years which means I’ll probably move about and rent until then. Feel for anyone that doesn’t have that safety net.

[DA Baracus]

9 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

Aye I’m lucky enough that I’ll inherit a home in around 20-30 years which means I’ll probably move about and rent until then. Feel for anyone that doesn’t have that safety net.

I resigned myself years ago to the fact that I'll never own a home.

I rent just now and could easily afford to pay a mortgage, and could probably save up a decent enough deposit over a few years, but due to my shite credit record I'll never get a mortgage. Add to that the fact that I would easily be outbid as I would have no wiggle room and would struggle to afford all the shitey extortionate fees on top of that (and that's all those fees are; they're just a legalised way to extort people).

[BFTD]

The wife and I got lucky and bought a house right before the credit crunch; we'd have no chance now. I love the place, but the main reason I'm so grateful is because we'll be able to leave somewhere for the wean to crash rent-free, if he needs it. He obviously doesn't get the significance of that now, and I don't think the wife quite gets it either but, barring miraculous changes in government policy, it's probably about the best thing we can do for him. You get the impression that rents will be even more crippling for his generation.

So, the current plan is: mortgage paid off by the time the wean's 28, then cark it from heart failure so he can take full advantage. At least half of that seems manageable.

[Baxter Parp]

17 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

I resigned myself years ago to the fact that I'll never own a home.

I rent just now and could easily afford to pay a mortgage, and could probably save up a decent enough deposit over a few years, but due to my shite credit record I'll never get a mortgage. Add to that the fact that I would easily be outbid as I would have no wiggle room and would struggle to afford all the shitey extortionate fees on top of that (and that's all those fees are; they're just a legalised way to extort people).

I dunno, my mate's been insolvent twice and he still got a mortgage, car loan, etc.  Utterly useless with money.

[Baxter Parp]

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/584-people-apply-for-just-80-jobs-at-new-welfare-hq-in-dundee/

584 people apply for just 80 jobs at new welfare HQ in Dundee

584 people trying to escape the gig economy and shitty jobs, I suspect.

[Baxter Parp]

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/theresa-mays-advisor-nick-timothy-14554668

Theresa May's advisor Nick Timothy deletes his Twitter account after Windrush row

Former advisor to Theresa May quits Twitter after claim that she wasn't behind 'go home' vans is challenged

Typical Tory weasel.

[Jdog]

John Mann 

https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2016/10/parliamentary-anti-gypsyism-meeting-collapses-after-offensive-booklet-emerges

[Jdog]

On 18/04/2018 at 07:29, Wee Bully said:

Its insidious. Anything else you don’t like about the Jews?

I was talking about both groups?

[Antlion]

I see the Commonwealth has decided it is officially the hereditary possession of the British crown.

Hopefully the queen dies soon to give her offspring a good run at fucking that up. Maybe the grief over her last corgi will finally push her into the grave.

[NotThePars]

It takes literal months, if not years, to organise any sort of campaign but apparently they came up with the “go home” vans while she was off hiking somewhere? Then it turns out May’s only objection was that they weren’t blunt enough? And the Tories literally, after a week of them “accidentally” erasing people’s residency status, still insist Dianne Abbott shouldn’t be allowed near the Home Office for fucking up numbers in an interview.

[Cerberus]

It's a boost in the arm for May.
It's been a rough couple of months but this will endear her to the hard Brexit crowd.

 

[Crùbag]

Naughty...

 

[Peppino Impastato]

On 20/04/2018 at 21:27, NotThePars said:

It takes literal months, if not years, to organise any sort of campaign but apparently they came up with the “go home” vans while she was off hiking somewhere? Then it turns out May’s only objection was that they weren’t blunt enough? And the Tories literally, after a week of them “accidentally” erasing people’s residency status, still insist Dianne Abbott shouldn’t be allowed near the Home Office for fucking up numbers in an interview.

Obviously fictitious but irrelevant anyway given, as home secretary, she was responsible anyway.  I assume they had phones and the internet where she was staying.

[HTG]

The stuff today has been very reminiscent of Sir Humphrey in front of a select committee in Yes Minister where every question needing an answer was met with "that's a question of policy, you must ask the minister". Except this is the inverse. Gauke and others have thrown out the "it was the implementation which was heavy handed and not what was intended" line.  But ... not one senior civil servant from the Home Office has yet been near an interview to explain why or how the policy was so badly fucked up.  This is probably because the policy was dreadful, its implementation exactly what was expected  (get more brown or black people tae f**k) and was doing fine until some arsehole got in the way and spoiled everything. 

Worth remembering that the govt was so concerned that the PM refused to engage with commonwealth leaders on the matter just days before the summit.  The the fan got splattered, she looked like she'd get a complete roasting and suddenly all these people are going to get all the money they need - to keep this hopeless cow in a job.

Just when you think this lot can't get any worse, they surprise you.  If she wasn't an odious, unfeeling cow she'd have walked along with the Home Secretary. But no, blame it on the workforce. I can only imagine working in the Home Office is a bundle of laughs right now. 

[welshbairn]

Had a wee bit of sympathy for Amber Rudd having to deal with May's f**k ups until I read this.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/20/amber-rudd-boasted-harsher-immigration-strategy-leak-reveals

[ICTChris]

Labour have selected Mandy Richards to fight the marginal constituency of Worcester.  She is banned from bringing court actions by the High Court after bringing 14 lawsuits against MI5, MI6, the Metropolitan police, the army, Thames Water, her gas, electricity and broadband suppliers, Royal Mail, Hackney council, her GP and the freeholder of her flat.  Richards can only bring lawsuits with the permission of a judge following the dismissal of her previous lawsuits as "vexatious".  She was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2016 London Assembly elections and sued the returing officer and Progress, the Labour Party group.  During a two day hearing Diane Abbot was called as a witness and said that Richards was a "fantasist".

Richards has also been active on social media questioning the terrorist attacks in Manchester and Westminster last year and also appears to have suggested that there was a conspiracy around the murder of Jo Cox, describing the incident as "conveniently bereft of evidence".

[HTG]

19 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Labour have selected Mandy Richards to fight the marginal constituency of Worcester.  She is banned from bringing court actions by the High Court after bringing 14 lawsuits against MI5, MI6, the Metropolitan police, the army, Thames Water, her gas, electricity and broadband suppliers, Royal Mail, Hackney council, her GP and the freeholder of her flat.  Richards can only bring lawsuits with the permission of a judge following the dismissal of her previous lawsuits as "vexatious".  She was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2016 London Assembly elections and sued the returing officer and Progress, the Labour Party group.  During a two day hearing Diane Abbot was called as a witness and said that Richards was a "fantasist".

Richards has also been active on social media questioning the terrorist attacks in Manchester and Westminster last year and also appears to have suggested that there was a conspiracy around the murder of Jo Cox, describing the incident as "conveniently bereft of evidence".

Otherwise sound though eh? 

[dirty dingus]

35 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Labour have selected Mandy Richards to fight the marginal constituency of Worcester.  She is banned from bringing court actions by the High Court after bringing 14 lawsuits against MI5, MI6, the Metropolitan police, the army, Thames Water, her gas, electricity and broadband suppliers, Royal Mail, Hackney council, her GP and the freeholder of her flat.  Richards can only bring lawsuits with the permission of a judge following the dismissal of her previous lawsuits as "vexatious".  She was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2016 London Assembly elections and sued the returing officer and Progress, the Labour Party group.  During a two day hearing Diane Abbot was called as a witness and said that Richards was a "fantasist".

Richards has also been active on social media questioning the terrorist attacks in Manchester and Westminster last year and also appears to have suggested that there was a conspiracy around the murder of Jo Cox, describing the incident as "conveniently bereft of evidence".

 

[Bully Wee Villa]

Sounds a banterrific choice to me.