Student Finance

We all know that student finance is up for a vote in the Commons tomorrow. But notwithstanding the Clegg grizzling on Radio 5Live this morning that people don't understand the proposals, it's damnably difficult to find the actual motion as proposed and genuinely uninterpreted by spin merchants and journalists, together with draft instrument and briefing notes. It's very fluffily interpreted by all sorts but it's very hard to find the actual nub of it.

So here it is in all it's baldness...

Rent Boys

Much has been said since Messer’s Osborn and Cameron announced their changes to the rules surrounding social housing rents. Their proposal is to set the rents for new tenants, at not less than 20% below the rents paid by tenants in privately owned accommodation. What is the thinking behind this new initiative?

Cameron is pandering to his money bag friends lurking in the shadows of power!

Private rentals are currently increasing at a rate of 5% per year according to figures from the institution of surveyors (estate agents to you and me). George and Dave would have us believe that this new initiative will provide much needed extra funding for the building of new social housing.