Council house tenants offered £30,000 bribes to move out

Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being spent encouraging people in social housing to move to the private sector — either as home-buyers or tenants. Those in larger council homes are also being offered cash payments of up to £3,000 per bedroom if they agree to downsize to a smaller social house or apartment. Click here for more...

Help bring empty homes back into use...

I've just heard from the CPRE that there is an Early Day Motion tabled in the House of Commons (and with cross-party support too) calling for a reduction in the rate of VAT on building repairs and improvement work to existing buildings.

This has to be a better and more sustainable way to provide housing than building new houses on our fields - helping protect the countryside and our heritage.

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=36999&SESSION=899

If you agree, please ask your MP to sign EDM 7: VAT on repairs and maintenance to existing buildings.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/

Poor Mr Gummidge

It hasn't been an easy start to 2009 for Mr G... My Father died January 4th after a five year battle against cancer... Sorting out the numerous complications that relate to such an event can then take away a month of your life, hence me being away from the fray...

So, I welcomed the first day of February with the customary 'pinch punch' that Mrs G and I have become accustomed to... However, just as your straw filled friend is starting to get some renewed perspective on life - the credit crunch spangs me full on!

Mr G's employers, a global publishing company based in Sussex decides I am no longer needed and gives me the elbow!

Hmmm... I wonder what I will do with all this time... I feel a book coming on... Eco Towns for Dummies?