Promoting the Politics of Courage
Tackling the housing emergency For too long, the UK planning system has been fuelled by greed, not by need. The core of its failure has been handing responsibility for the delivery of the homes we need to speculators primarily interested in filling their boots. That’s why I’m pleased that, at it’s recent conference, the Liberal […]
The government should stop the developers’ charter – and instead set targets to meet housing need, not developers’ greedI’ve long proposed that local authorities should be required to set targets to meet need, rather than simply housebuilding targets.Cornwall is a classic example which demonstrates that setting very high housebuilding targets has massively failed. Cornwall has […]
“This is a welcome move in the right direction. But it’s still a long way short of what’s needed. “The Conservatives were finally shamed into promising they’d do something about the appalling housing injustice created by the proliferation of second homes and holiday lets way back in 2018. Though they keep promising, nothing happens. […]
If money for second homes went to first homes instead we’d have all but solved Cornwall’s housing problems The Conservatives have handed more than £385 million in tax subsidies to second homers in Cornwall in the last decade. If that had been granted for the delivery of first homes for locals instead there’d be […]
Fellow housing justice campaigners and I can celebrate a campaign success – a boost for those who have been fighting to put first homes before second homes. It’s taken decades and won’t happen for another two years – but the prospects of success look encouraging. The proliferation of second homes, holiday lets and Airbnbs have come […]
• The dominant issue this week has been the vote of confidence. I refer of course to the resounding vote of confidence in Cornish Rugby. What a fantastic display by all of our Cornish teams. Our women’s team comfortably winning their Championship (tier 3) final in Richmond, the men’s team defeating Cheshire at Twickenham, […]
The Conservatives claim they’ll “crack-down” on second homers and “punish” them with double council tax. However, I regret that all they will do is the opposite. As more second homers will be encouraged to ‘flip’ their property investment from council tax to business rates, claim the tax exemption and pay nothing. All they’re proposing is merely […]
This week I launch a Charter for Housing Justice. Amongst other things it calls for: 1. Everyone to have a right to a decent, secure, affordable home;2. Radically changing the planning and tax systems to put public good before private gain; first homes before second homes; stronger enforcement powers; and third party right of appeal; […]
Second homers who received some of the £169 million paid so far from Cornwall’s Covid aid should either pay the money back or donate it to housing charities. The local MP has not yet apologised for having wrongly criticised me for highlighting this appalling misuse of public money. Nor has he apologised for incorrectly […]
Response to “Derek Slams…” press release Debate the facts with me in open forum. Tory MP should apologise to local people If Mr Thomas is so adamant that second homes have not been handed hundreds of millions of tax benefits and covid aid in Cornwall alone then I’m sure he’ll accept my invitation for the […]