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The Laffer curve is nonsense. it was just a vague idea sketched out on a napkin. It's been looked at closely and best estimates say that if the theory worked then the optimum tax rate would be around 70%, but it's a big if! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve You are right about the...

What do you mean? What does "cancelled" mean? Who does it, and how? We have been discussing these issues quite freely but anybody is free to drop out if they don't want to.

Market forces aim to maximise profits; meeting needs is incidental. The big operators and landowners are making a bomb and are also highly active lobbying Parliament and elsewhere. Housing shortage is highly profitable to those who don't need houses...

Wouldn't help at all if I didn't build them to start with. In any case even if I could afford it I'd be in the same market as everybody else - buying development land or property at very high price with a high rent the only way to get a return. The market that is way out of balance. It's a...

What do you think should be done about the housing crisis?

How do you know this, do you have any figures? It always seems to me to be directly the opposite - work-capable young people are the most enthusiastic. It's the older work-capable who are happiest to retire early. Lots of people my age seem to have been early retired and still doing nothing 20...

Completely untrue, who is being "cancelled" and where? What does being "cancelled" actually mean, if anything? What the left do is exactly the opposite; they attempt to draw people in to the public conversation and always have. Nearer home: anybody who finds it too much is free to drop out, but...

I'd query the idea that it's a choice between two ideologies. They aren't easily defined in spite of endless discussion and ongoing arguments forever. Immigration isn't really a problem, it's just a fact of life and has been going on forever. In fact in most ways it's a boon and we all benefit...

Have you always been interested in art? What was your personal high point? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedian_(artwork)

I agree. But I don't mind the "unwoke"* - better out than in IMHO. We all need the exercise of talking about issues. It's what democracy is all about and and the general disapproval about talking about politics is basically anti-democratic and unhealthy! The MSM and the social media bombard us...

I'm not. Just seems that way - so many worried landlords on the defensive! I guess that's a good sign. I won't. I wouldn't choose to be a landlord even if I could afford to. You should make an enormous profit on the back of 35 years house price inflation and the housing crisis, not to mention...

Tenancy should be for life of the tenants and family. Housing is an absolute essential and being evicted can seriously disrupt the lives of the victims even if they do manage to find somewhere else and not end up homeless. Poor quality and insecure housing is also a major cause of other social...

What do you think Labour should do about the housing crisis?

All part of the problem of badly designed and poorly equipped housing. Used to be paraffin heaters in the old days, or are they still with us? Also a problem of sheer poverty - you could still heat your home even with gas/electric cut off - no money for the meter etc.

It's not a "right" it's about needs. The lefty assumption is that government and society should be run "for the many not the few". The right wing assumption is that property trumps everything.

It's generally attributable to poor maintenance, design and build. People haven't just recently gone stupid.

Well yes why not? Bring back civilisation, it's a jungle out there!

Stop worrying about them! I've had two of them and neither turned into a shapeless blob and neither of them were big enough to need 25mm grate plate. They were rated 8kw (Firebug) and 12kw (Sumo) and as far as I know are still going strong.

Not if it would leave people homeless. Even if homeless? There's no fundamental reason why property owners' interests should take precedence. It's a historic issue and fought over from early days. Would you say the highland clearances, or enclosures, were perfectly reasonable? Exactly. But...

sez 'ere; "We use heavier gauges than any other stove on the market for a multi-fuel stove, 8mm upper body up to 25mm for the grate plates." Seemed to work well in the two stoves I had before. One was a 12kw rated Sumo and I'd guess the body was more than 8mm, the sides of the ash can a lot less.