Building works
What a joy to hear that Lord Frost os to become a columnist and commentator for The Daily Telegraph. It is bound to be the gift that keeps on giving.
His first effort actually contained one idea that makes sense, break up big monopolistic companies and increase competition. But even here he says that should include the construction firms. With today’s house price figures showing another inflationary spiral because of a shortage of housing that might seem sensible.
But we need big firms to handle big contracts, what would really help is many more smaller firms which can get access to building plots. That is a planning issue, Nimbyism needs to be resisted..
But the elephant in the room is council housing, it is the right to buy legislation that has created this housing crisis. It is madness to make councils give away assets for less than they are worth, no wonder they don’t build them anymore.
But that policy is too popular with voters who have been told time and time again it is a triumph. Let councils build and the gap between supply and demand will disappear.
It is that simple but no one will act.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.