Mike

@NomadMission @newstart_2024 i worked on a 95% mortgage so say 14k for deposit and legals, start at 18 thats roughly £40/wk It may be a flat near you but 250 will prob get a 3 bed semi new with deposit paid here The issue I see is affording everything when someone has kids and wants to stop work

@Mike47w @newstart_2024 You're highly unlikely to have saved the 25k deposit on a 250k mortgage at 21, perhaps at 25. You'd still only get an apartment and there's no commitment without a future family home. Hence the collapsing birth rate now at 1.41 / woman, way below replacement.

“You’re spending 50% of your disposable income on a house a postman owned in 1917.” Rory Sutherland just delivered a brutally funny takedown of London property madness. He pointed out that people with good jobs are now paying enormous sums for a three-bedroom house in Fulham that’s essentially a boring, low-quality building — the real value is almost entirely in the land and planning permission (about 90% of the price). Meanwhile, we live in an incredible technological age where you can buy jet skis, hot tubs, and amazing consumer goods — but most of our money goes into owning a “shit house” in a good postcode. Rory’s friend has a flat in the Barbican and he gets that — it’s actually an amazing place to live. But most London housing? Dross. Rory’s friend has a flat in the Barbican and he gets that — it’s actually an amazing place to live. But most London housing? Dross. It’s like paying £60,000 a year for the parking space while driving a 1970s Ford Cortina. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve seen people spend huge money on just for location?

@NomadMission @newstart_2024 for most of the country there isn't an affordability issue for couples A couple on min wage can buy an avg 250k property at 21 and be debt free by 40 The question is can you find a working partner you trust enough to make that commitment Most people need 2 salaries to buy

2000-2025 UK population: +0.65–0.7% p.a. UK Housing stock: +0.55–0.65% Real median wages: +0.5% p.a. Real house price: +2.4-2.8% p.a. House Price to earnings ratio: 2000: 4.5x 2025: 7.5x Basic supply & demand mis-management. Small negative differences = disastrous consequences. The warning signs were there & ignored.

@DocShivSharma @BuckCllr If the BMA really believes this why does it allow its members to operate in the private sector especially for the NHS? I can think of plenty of bad answers but I must be missing thhe real one

@BuckCllr No, the point is the private healthcare providers are way more expensive than it being done in house.

We’re told we can’t afford doctors. But we can afford £1.6 BILLION in profits for private companies. These are deliberate choices to move NHS money into private hands, not frontline care. The government's privatisation of the NHS isn't so secret anymore.

@DocShivSharma did they lose 750m, it is as valid a guess as a 1.6bn profit, that is no they didn't make either and those getting upset over imaginary profits should know better

@DocShivSharma PRIVATE FIRMS LOST £750Million I reworked the reports numbers to add in depreciation, tax, finance costs based on Spire's accounts and assumed the NHS beat avg costs by a low 5 percent of revenue, all valid assumptions, you get a loss of £750m

@moving_charlie Building more homes would give buyers more choice allowing them to choose cheaper homes than otherwise Similarly the greater choice would allow them to choose homes they perceive as better it has in most consumer goods, TVs computers are cheaper in real terms & far better

@Mike47w how can they be better if they're cheaper? What sort of logic is that?

Housebuilder gaslighting (through lobbying) that there's a housing shortage will be one of the biggest of all scandals when we look back. When you're selling something with a price tag that big, they'll say anything to shift more product. Hang the consequences. Here we are.

@martinrw the research doesn't show that they made 1.6bn profit at all to get to the figure you have to:- Assume equipment lasts for ever Interest isn't a cost try trlling that to your bank The NHS pays the same price as everyone else despite having massive negotiating power Its rubbish

This is scandalous, but not surprising. If we re-nationalised the NHS, we'd stand to save £1.6bn every two years. theguardian.com/society/2026/a…

@DocShivSharma Its bollocks though, the report makes lots of rubbish assumptions such as interest isn't a cost, equipment never wears out, the NHS doesn't use its size to negotiate good deals, etc, etc I guess those on the Nokia phones driving Reliant Robins will think its ok

@RichardJMurphy He is playing with you and like a cat chasing a laser pointer you jump from one thing to another unable to control yourselves It should worry us that the supposedly intelligent are so easy to manipulate but it is funny

Trump thinks he’s God, and that should worry us youtube.com/shorts/A2JK9A1…

@Peston The ceasefire should include Lebanon, that is any attack of Israel from Lebanon can be treated as a breach of the ceasefire by Iran

Starmer and Macron spoke this afternoon with “both leaders agreeing that any ceasefire must include Lebanon to support wider regional stability”.

@DanielJHannan @LiamHalligan Pensioners should be protected from inflation, the problem with the triple lock is the same inflationary spike can impact the figures in consecutive years The answer is to change the reference period to say 5 yrs choose the biggest & deduct the 4 previous years increases from it

@RichardJMurphy £20bn extra for defence, its not enough, we don't have the frigates to protect the aircraft carriers, the army is undersized, ammunition stocks are miles too low, etc, etc Without adequate defence nothing is safe unless you trust Putin, Xi ,Trump, etc

The Tories' new policy: "Starve the Children" to pay for their misplaced fantasy about Britain's role in the world. theguardian.com/politics/2026/…

@LBC @rorysutherland nationally there is no affordability crisis, a couple FT on minimum wage can afford to buy the avg property (250k) the key to buying your own home has changed from having a pretty good job to having a working partner you trust Shoot the divorce lawyers to help homeownership

'Housing is more like a protection racket than a business.' People would be happier if they stopped buying houses and spent more at the pub, @RorySutherland says.

@moving_charlie @consumerofmonch that is not the way to bet though, minimum wage has risen far faster than pensions as the government has to fund pensions and employers fund minimum wage increases so increasing minimum wage is seen as a free lunch / vote winner

@consumerofmonch @Mike47w The pay for which doesn’t necessarily go up with inflation like pensions do.

This will not help Reform keep the younger vote, it'll drive them into the arms of the greens. The young will see this as yet more unfair advantage for the already-wealthiest generation. x.com/i/trending/204…

@consumerofmonch @moving_charlie So when you reach "retirement age" you should expect your living standards to fall off a cliff or go back to working until you die?

@Mike47w @moving_charlie An 18 year old on min wage has a job

@cjsnowdon Green party policies will lead to single male renting properties having to live in HMOs imho Restrictions on private LL & social LL allocate on need. Single men will be assessed as lowest need hence HMOs Will divorced dads be able to have spare rooms to have their kids stay

Polanski won’t survive a general election campaign.

@Davouts @RichardJMurphy the air defence systems that have worked so badly in Iran, I understand Pakistan has had issues with Chinese defence equipment/weapons as well

@Mike47w @RichardJMurphy Which Chinese weapons where?

The conflict in the Middle East is not a contained regional war. It is, instead, a geopolitical earthquake that is reshaping the global balance of power in real time. The United States and Israel began this confrontation against Iran, but it is China that will emerge as the dominant winner, without deploying a single soldier. And who will lose? People everywhere, plus the UK, clinging to a "special relationship" that is becoming untenable, whilst being left dangerously exposed without a functioning navy, an air force heavily dependent on the US, and a foreign policy with no clear direction. youtu.be/cRFx02_Keag?si…