Johnson and the Great Escape?

What is not realised by many people yet (it will dawn soon), is that the investment in raintwater harvesting, solar panels, improved insulation etc all of which will reduce running costs of a house, will start to affect in a positive sense the value of a property. Eventually, just like with the fuel economy figures of a car, people will choosde to buy a house with lower running costs. At the moment the difference between houses is modest and people may prefer an older, less efficient house which has far more character. But eventually if a house costs £2,000 a year more to live in compared to a similar house, it may have a value of up to £25,000/£30,000 more.

I am astonished that our Building Regulations are so unimpressive. If you are going to install insulation anyway, adding another 50mm is not so expensive. If you are going to install double glazing, adding triple glazing is not so much more expensive. Yes a solar panelled roof or a heat pump are expensive but you could start by requiring their installation on new build houses above a certain size or sale price. At a certain point the additional cost is a drop in the ocean compared to the house price anyway.

I have no idea, why are you asking me?

One would assume, and I don't know, that various developers would like Labour to build council houses and the like. Which I suppose would have much that same effect.

I've never yet someone whose decency, integrity or honesty had anything to do with their political allegiance.

>>So the donations to the Tories are entirely altruistic? Nothing to do with proposals to ease planning constraints, keep property taxes low, avoiding taxing land banks or wealth held as property, generally keep treating housing as a means of making money rather than a basic need and human right...?

Why are you asking me? If you have an opinion, why not give it?

In my opinion and experience, donations from anyone to anyone are usually not altruistic and are usually for selfish reasons. Irrespective of which political party they purport to prefer.

>>I can't dispute your experience but anecdote is not evidence.

My statement began "I have never yet met..." I made no statement beyond a comment on my own experience. In that it is me telling of my own experience, how can it be anything other than anecdotal. I have no idea of what what I should be giving evidence.

In any case. this is a discussion forum, not a court of law and in my opinion the ironic or sarcastic asking of a question is a very weak form of discussion. Generally I think it's more sneering than discussing, which rarely seems to be the action of someone in a position of strength.

>>There are - or used to be - decent Tories.

I can only repeat, that I have never yet someone whose decency, integrity or honesty had anything to do with their political allegiance. Party politics is a crap approach.

As for the rest of your post, which I actually didn't read with much care, I do wonder if you will be providing evidence. Because you know what they say about anecdote......

I don't really know what I think about this.

That Boris would break the law, certainly insofar as inconvenient regulations, us not a surprise or revelation.

The outraged wailing of other politicians is just hypocritical and self-serving noise and certainly of no import, value or interest.

Ditto media whining.

That he lied to other politicians, themselves a disgraceful bunch of lying wasters, also doesn't bother me much.

I'm not really bothered about the regulation breaking in and of itself. I broke some Covid rules, deliberately. I often break rules.

The thing that does bother me is his stupidity. I've been in difficult and publicly visible situations and above all else one makes sure to be lily white and above reproach.

To do otherwise is just stupid.

Boris Johnson is either stupid, or he thinks himself above everybody else, probably both. And I am certainly tired of constant reminders of those two things.

I see no sign of his behaviour changing. And that is another level of stupidity.

He should go, we just shouldn't think we're going to get anything better in his place.

I agree that he should go, preferably with his tail between his legs and with a tarnished reputation.

But dear God, look at the alternatives! And as for a GE, unless a new and improved Liberal Democrat Party drops through a wormhole how is that going to improve things?