Rachel Hodge

Excellent response by Dr. Ros, as usual, and I completely agree with your points, Mike D, regarding lazy journalism based on opinion, wooing popular (populist) thinking. Fake news!

As I've always said, LLs didn't create the housing crisis and subsequent increased demand in the PRS. Successive governments created the housing crisis through lack of new housing supply and social housing sell-off - driving up house prices and rental prices.

Why try to reduce the PRS supply when demand is growing?! Oh yes, because government and bipartisan policy now states that generating housing supply is important and they will implement strategies to encourage that. Meanwhile, they'll screw the market and restrict the supply being demanded (i.e. rental stock).

P*ss up in brewery in charge and ill-informed, lazy journalism.... Read More

Excellent article on UC in the Spectator.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/10/dont-blame-iain-duncan-smith-for-the-universal-credit-tragedy-blame-george-osborne/... Read More

It doesn't solve or improve the housing crisis though. And it has the greatest negative affect on the poorer members of society - those who can't afford to buy.... Read More

I will be interested to hear what UKIP say, as they had a very attractive 40% income tax pledge in the last election which really tempted me (something like raising the threshold to £50K). If this was pledged again, this would help mitigate S24 effects.

I'm going to try to embed a tweet I've just sent to my MP.

@grantshapps I was sure of a Tory landslide until the tax threat. S24 rental tax + possible further tax rises means I'm now looking for a alternative.— Rachel Hodge (@Rache133) April 23, 2017

Would have preferred to copy his tweet and my reply, but technology has overwhelmed me. This is his tweet I was responding to:

Sunday papers stuffed full of opinion polls. What a resilient industry, given their abject failure to predict either last election or Brexit— Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) April 23, 2017
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I can't believe that people here believe that Labour or Lib Dem would care more about LLs??

If Labour / Lid Dem got in, and you think Tories have been bad, you ain't seen nothing yet. Rent caps, right to buy in PRS, stifling taxes etc etc.

I think Theresa May is about our best bet for reversing S24 once the shit hits the fan in a couple of years. Just look at how quickly she reversed the self employed NI debacle.

Funny how some people criticise her for U-turning. I'm actually happy to have someone in power who quickly changes something that doesn't work or upsets the people. Strewth, you can't please everyone!... Read More

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What I tried to do during my meeting with my MP was to concentrate on the effect this was going to have on tenants and the welfare sector. I think this is going to be absolutely catastrophic.

Yes, I started the meeting talking about my tenants, and our symbiotic relationship and my pension, but after receiving the sympathetic, agreeable nods and grunts about how hard-done-by I was, I concentrated on my real concern: what this was going to do to tenants in the rental sector.

I think the Tenant Tax campaign should concentrate much more on the effect S24 will have on tenants and shift away from the affect it will have on rich, greedy LLs.... Read More

Well, unfortunately, there has to be a harsh and immediate change at some point, or there will be no change, and the Tories, who will be in power for a long time, will continue to try to balance the books by cutting welfare to the elderly, sick and infirm which is absolutely unacceptable.

Given the choice, I would rather attack the stay-at-home, generationally unemployed who are not charged with any responsibility for family planning, but rather, as you say, encouraged by the system to have more children to qualify for more benefits, than those for whom the welfare state was originally created to help. That is those who, through no fault of their own, landed on bad times. Who amongst us resents paying tax to help those people? No-one. Who amongst us resents paying taxes to support the work-shy, exponentially fertile long term benefit claimants? At the expense of those in society who genuinely deserve help? All of us. Well, except those who directly benefit from those claimants, Jonathan. No offence.... Read More

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The results of the survey will definitely be used to attack LLs. I'm not helping them with it.... Read More

I really want him to lose his seat. He absolutely is taking the complete p**s as you put it Barry.

Regarding his role at Blackrock - 650K for FOUR days: what on earth are Blackrock paying him for? It stinks.

Had to edit this re-reading Barry's post ... "honest & decent"?? Osborne?*?!*... Read More

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Radio 1 Newsbeat wanting to talk to LLs if anyone wants to volunteer.

This is in connection with a study they are reporting on which found LLs prefer pet owners over benefit tenants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39102860... Read More

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Did anyone else hear the tenant on R4 You and Yours today? The other LL, a widowed LL also presented a really good story.

I expected to see it spoken about here! It was a paradigm shift for radio 4 / BBC in that it wasn't deliberately focusing negatively on LLs at the expense of the rest of the story.... Read More

I've sent mime too. Welwyn & Hatfield.... Read More

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