Be informed

Notwithstanding my own thoughts about Cameron’s folly, the view of Europe’s media is very interesting indeed. Today I have scanned the German media and found, without exception, that the UK is isolated, will continue to be so, and is the butt of many jokes. ZDF is never shy of inserting amusing graphics into its reports. Last night the map of Europe had the UK sprouting sails and heading west. The broadcaster was also keen to utilise those very useful statues by Anthony Gormley (right) that are gradually submerged by the oncoming tide to make some obscure point! Images of Victoria and allusions to empire also accompany harsh commentary.

Incredulity, is perhaps, the word that sums up much of the thinking in Germany. The Suedeutsche Zeitung broadsheet newspaper this morning dedicated a whole page to Cameron. He was thoroughly caricatured and that British sense of ‘fog cuts off the continent’ mentality was again exploited.

How interesting, moreover, that it is that a few weeks and months ago we were discussing which country will be leaving the Eurozone. Now the talk is about the ‘inevitable’ exit of the UK from the EU. What an image, also, of Cameron travelling back to Chequers, his country retreat, and inviting 30 or so fellow sceptics for dinner and a toast to a crazy and inept decision and negotiating position. Would it not have been better to have invited 30 ‘wise’ people to discuss how to move forward, how to retrieve the situation? This is not a time for backslapping, surely?

Then on the Today programme, this morning, George Osborne defended Cameron and the decision. John Humphrys expressed that European incredulity. And Osborne failed to explain how the decision was in the UK’s interest. Does it protect the City? Not according to the Editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber, also interviewed by Humphrys immediately prior to Osborne’s interview. Again, I have recorded these two interviews and uploaded here. The financial institutions will trade where it is in their best interests. Suddenly Frankfurt looks attractive.

What about the Coalition? The German media say little about it; it is incidental. In the UK, what should we expect? One would think that Clegg would call time and force a General Election. He surely senses, though, that that would be the end of his party. They would no longer be in coalition. The ‘power’ and privilege will have gone. For the German TV, Miliband is also a marginal figure. It is all about Cameron.

Osborne seems to think that the UK is going to be able to stop the 26 from using the institutions of the EU to establish a political and fiscal union. The UK is going to tell the other members that they cannot have their discussions over the Eurozone in EU buildings – I think not!

It is clear from the reporting in Germany that the UK is on its way out of the Union. I sense not only is it that the UK is on the way out, but it is also a case of good-riddance!

I was anxious going across the border last night. The border guard scrutinised my passport closer than normal. I suspect, when I depart tomorrow evening, they will not even look at it. Good riddance, Englander.

Michael Heseltine was also on Today – his interview is worth listening to (0810); he does his best not to criticise, but clearly he was not at the Chequers dinner last night.

So the next attack by the Conservative Government on civil society is to outlaw squatting. Rather than outlaw empty properties at a time of housing shortages (at fair rents), the Government is proposing to spend more valuable parliamentary time to discuss further attacking civil liberties.

The house I live in is habitable now and functions as a co-operative because it was squatted. It was the subject of a compulsory purchase order a number of years ago for a road development that never happened. 14 years on the house and two more in the block provide housing for 12 people at affordable rents and empowers them to manage the properties – skilling members along the way.

Again, the property owning classes cannot countenance fair use of property. Better to have houses empty than be given an incentive to render them habitable. Greed. As for the Government, shameful.

A shelter report reveals that rents are now too dear for ordinary families. What does too dear mean and why is it so? The Guardian newspaper reported that: “The Shelter Rent Watch found that average private rents were unaffordable for ordinary working families in 55% of local authorities in England. Typical rents charged by private landlords were more than a third of median take-home pay, the widely accepted measure of affordability.” A key indicator of this in the Shelter report is that households are now cutting down on food in order to transfer money to rents.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/news/october_2011/rental_market_in_crisis

Presumably demand is high because people are unable to afford to buy and/or cannot get affordable social housing? Demand causes price escalation for ‘customers’ who cannot afford the price but pay because housing is an essential. This is made worse by controls on housing benefit recently introduced, a fact which unscrupulous landlords appear not to be responding to. Ironically families are being forced to uproot AWAY from work and family in order to afford housing.

Making money out of exploiting others through rents is obscene. Rent caps – or fair rent controls are surely appropriate?

The Government’s intention to launch another round of ‘right to buy’ for Council or Housing Association tenants is nonsense. This was recently announced by David Willets on the Today Programme. Though I note that even Ed Miliband admitted in his conference speech that the ‘right to buy’ under Thatcher was a good idea. Blue Labour as it is now called.