Brexit slowly becoming a Farce.

[DiegoDiego]

Even if you could build the vast number of places needed to satisfy everyone who fancied living in Edinburgh (which you basically can't), most of the people complaining about affordability would then complain that the place they were being offered wasn't in a good area. 

Just because people will complain about anything doesn't mean we shouldn't try doing things to help them.

[NotThePars]

1 hour ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

Without private landlords Edinburgh would not be the place it is with people living here from around the world.

Mate are you my favourite serious media criticism podcast because Citations Needed

[speckled tangerine]

1 hour ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

 

Without private landlords Edinburgh would not be the place it is with people living here from around the world.

 

Mate, it's a fucking theme park. Airbnb everywhere, student flats all over the shop and nowhere for regular normal folk to live at a reasonable price. Students don't pay council tax which is probably another reason the "hidden" parts of the city are neglected and look like shit. Edinburgh was always an "international" place with folk from all over, but now it's mission statement seems to cater for blow ins and not the actual population.

And don't get me started on the privatisation of public spaces such as that dance thing that took over Princes street gardens the other week there, or the Xmas markets. Fucking £70-£100 a ticket for that dance thing. If you're on minimum wage or UC there's no way you can afford that. 

And just who benefitted financially from that? 

 

[bendan]

1 hour ago, DiegoDiego said:

Just because people will complain about anything doesn't mean we shouldn't try doing things to help them.

I'm totally in favour of massive amounts of building on a not for profit basis, I just don't think it can realistically end the role of private landlords. 

We should be doing more to create decent places outside Edinburgh, too. 

[oneteaminglasgow]

11 hours ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

You're paying too much rent for your place then? 

Without private landlords Edinburgh would not be the place it is with people living here from around the world.

The natives should blame the authorities form not building more affordable housing. I don't see it as a choice between one and the other. 

I have a mortgage, so no. I just think that private landlords are morally indefensible, and their existence is a problem for society to deal with.

On people from around the world living here, again, I don’t see how that would be impossible if private landlords were replaced by public ownership.

And it isn’t one or the other. Edinburgh Council, and indeed all councils, should invest more in building good quality social housing, but that does not mean that these parasites buying up all the housing stock so that they can exploit people with ludicrous rent demands are blameless. And as I think @Detournement said somewhere, the idea of Lloyds bank (I think it is) becoming the biggest landlord in the country should absolutely terrify everyone.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

10 hours ago, speckled tangerine said:

Mate, it's a fucking theme park. Airbnb everywhere, student flats all over the shop and nowhere for regular normal folk to live at a reasonable price. Students don't pay council tax which is probably another reason the "hidden" parts of the city are neglected and look like shit. Edinburgh was always an "international" place with folk from all over, but now it's mission statement seems to cater for blow ins and not the actual population.

And don't get me started on the privatisation of public spaces such as that dance thing that took over Princes street gardens the other week there, or the Xmas markets. Fucking £70-£100 a ticket for that dance thing. If you're on minimum wage or UC there's no way you can afford that. 

And just who benefitted financially from that? 

 

That's definitely the impression I've had when visiting in recent years, and I lived in York for twenty years, so I know of what i speak. I remember mentioning when they were setting up EuroDisney that they should just have put pay stations on the ring-road, as York was nothing but a theme park anyway. That was twenty years ago, and things have not improved.

What happens is the whole thing accelerates, with the poorly paid minions who deliver the "Visitor Experience" being forced further and further from the city, and any pretence of it actually being a city in the real sense of being a large settlement of people is just that - a sham. In York, you can buy wee plaster Minsters or cuddly Vikings to your heart's content, but you'll have to travel out of town to actually do your shopping.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

1 hour ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

I have a mortgage, so no. I just think that private landlords are morally indefensible, and their existence is a problem for society to deal with.

On people from around the world living here, again, I don’t see how that would be impossible if private landlords were replaced by public ownership.

And it isn’t one or the other. Edinburgh Council, and indeed all councils, should invest more in building good quality social housing, but that does not mean that these parasites buying up all the housing stock so that they can exploit people with ludicrous rent demands are blameless. And as I think @Detournement said somewhere, the idea of Lloyds bank (I think it is) becoming the biggest landlord in the country should absolutely terrify everyone.

Your first paragraph is succinct and entirely correct. A purely parasitical existence, there is no place for these people in our society.

Your last bit (bolded) - that was me, and I would like to point out that I have never used tinfoil as headgear. That you (a reasonable poster) have connected one of my posts with that loon means I'm going to have to have a good look in the mirror. I still stand by that statement, btw.

 

[Billy Jean King]

I have a mortgage, so no. I just think that private landlords are morally indefensible, and their existence is a problem for society to deal with.
On people from around the world living here, again, I don’t see how that would be impossible if private landlords were replaced by public ownership.
And it isn’t one or the other. Edinburgh Council, and indeed all councils, should invest more in building good quality social housing, but that does not mean that these parasites buying up all the housing stock so that they can exploit people with ludicrous rent demands are blameless. And as I think [mention=74940]Detournement[/mention] said somewhere, the idea of Lloyds bank (I think it is) becoming the biggest landlord in the country should absolutely terrify everyone.

LAs can barely provide basic services on current budgets never mind implementing large land purchase and house building programmes. There needs to be a massive fundamental shift in Public Sector finances for there to be any large scale housing provision through those channels.

[oneteaminglasgow]

1 minute ago, Billy Jean King said:

LAs can barely provide basic services on current budgets never mind implementing large land purchase and house building programmes. There needs to be a massive fundamental shift in Public Sector finances for there to be any large scale housing provision through those channels.

 

13 hours ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

I don't suppose you'd consider my solution of imprisoning all landlords and seizing their assets without compensation?

I’m a reasonable man, so we can compromise on just seizing their assets without compensation without indefinitely imprisoning all landlords. Seems more than fair to me. 

[Detournement]

Private landlords will be around for a while. Everyone was creaming over that Berlin referendum where they are going to expropriate big landlords then you read the detail and it's companies that own 3000 rental properties. 2500 is obviously ok.....

There are obviously ways to legislate against bad, exploitative landlords but first you need a party who care about people who don't own property. 

[Jeff Venom]

Private landlords will be around for a while. Everyone was creaming over that Berlin referendum where they are going to expropriate big landlords then you read the detail and it's companies that own 3000 rental properties. 2500 is obviously ok.....

They're capturing nearly a quarter of a million properties though. Clearly there's a way to go but it's a pragmatic start.
Everything doesn't need to be a one-off big bang change.


Sent from my LLD-L31 using Tapatalk

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

[WhiteRoseKillie]

12 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

I do love the fortnightly arrival of everyone's favourite bits from the new PE - makes me wonder why I bother subscribing.

In line with the "Satire is dead" vibe prevalent at the moment, that cúnt Fox did actually come out with the line this week that it is Brexit which has given the UK the ability to control the supply of labour so that we only bring the labour in when we need it - or, in the case of HGV drivers, once it's become apparent that we're fucked without them. Hoodathunkit?

[doulikefish]

Things you love to see just hope the people in the van are ok 

https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1443487482209882112?s=19

[NotThePars]

2 hours ago, Detournement said:

Private landlords will be around for a while. Everyone was creaming over that Berlin referendum where they are going to expropriate big landlords then you read the detail and it's companies that own 3000 rental properties. 2500 is obviously ok.....

I'm fairly sure it said this in every single tweet I read about it

[Granny Danger]

4 hours ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

 

I’m a reasonable man, so we can compromise on just seizing their assets without compensation without indefinitely imprisoning all landlords. Seems more than fair to me. 

I’m sure it will not be a policy of any of the major/minor/fringe parties for the foreseeable future.

[Salt n Vinegar]

17 hours ago, speckled tangerine said:

Mate, it's a fucking theme park. Airbnb everywhere, student flats all over the shop and nowhere for regular normal folk to live at a reasonable price. Students don't pay council tax which is probably another reason the "hidden" parts of the city are neglected and look like shit. Edinburgh was always an "international" place with folk from all over, but now it's mission statement seems to cater for blow ins and not the actual population.

And don't get me started on the privatisation of public spaces such as that dance thing that took over Princes street gardens the other week there, or the Xmas markets. Fucking £70-£100 a ticket for that dance thing. If you're on minimum wage or UC there's no way you can afford that. 

And just who benefitted financially from that? 

 

I don't think that's entirely fair.  Certainly, from the top of Leith Walk to Haymarket east to west, and the Meadows to Fettes south to north, most of that is a theme park. There's life outside the tartan, Greyfriars Bobby, "See You Jimmy" Wig bit where ordinary mortals live.  Property costs are horrendous.... Portobello seems to be where the yummy mummies want to hang out.  It used to be a bit run down, but now the place is dripping with nail bars, hairdressers and coffee shops and you can't seem to buy a small flat unless you have uncovered a stash of Nazi gold bullion. 

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

I didn't catch the beginning of the Edinburgh conversation and I've no idea if Brexit is involved or if we're just off at a tangent, but is it not the case that Covid has changed the dynamic about having to live in cities like Edinburgh ?

I'm only posting anecdotally, but I have plenty of friends who live in extortionally priced properties in Edinbugh as owners or renters, and they've either moved out of there to someplace like East Lothian or The Borders, or are in the process of trying to arrange a move. 

Working from home means it's no longer a necessity to live in or around the city, and plenty are taking advantage of that. 

Will this lead to a drop in rental prices ? It's happened in London, so why not Edinburgh ?

 

[bendan]

2 hours ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I don't think that's entirely fair.  Certainly, from the top of Leith Walk to Haymarket east to west, and the Meadows to Fettes south to north, most of that is a theme park. There's life outside the tartan, Greyfriars Bobby, "See You Jimmy" Wig bit where ordinary mortals live.  

I don't even think it's that big an area. It's basically from Forrest Road down to St Andrews Square/Top of Leith Walk. The West End is barely touched by tourism, nor the Meadows/Tollcross/Newington/Stockbridge. It's amazing how narrow a patch of the city most tourists confine themselves to. Seeing it for myself, it makes me consciously try to avoid doing the same thing in other cities.

Edited September 30, 2021 by bendan

[The_Kincardine]

4 hours ago, Bob Mahelp said:

I didn't catch the beginning of the Edinburgh conversation and I've no idea if Brexit is involved or if we're just off at a tangent, but is it not the case that Covid has changed the dynamic about having to live in cities like Edinburgh ?

We lived on the edge of Embra's New Town (Carlton Terrace) from 1999 for 5 years and it's a brilliant city to live in and perfect for work/life balance.  Were my circumstances different I'd move back in a heartbeat.