So on Friday, Conservative MPs Philip Davies and Christopher Chope successfully filibustered a Private Member's Bill that would prohibit retaliatory evictions. Davies's speech was curtailed by Deputy Speaker Dawn Primarolo for disregarding her authority, after she ordered Davies to wrap up his then-hour long speech. A closure motion moved by the government, which was agreed to 60–0, failed due to being inquorate.

 

They are getting some abuse on twitter which has cheered me up, but really being landlords they are acting for THEMSELVES and not others. Total arseholes IMO.

Davies makes over 20k a year as a landlord. Not that that has ANYTHING to do with his obviously principled libertarian position http://www.moopy.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/gggggg.gif

Davies makes over 20k a year as a landlord. Not that that has ANYTHING to do with his obviously principled libertarian position http://www.moopy.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/gggggg.gif

 

Well QUITE.

 

I do find this all very depressing. Whilst the media continues to bang the drum about how immigration is the root of all our problems, there is absolutely nothing being done to address the housing crisis that is affecting London but also the vast majority of young people in this country. Whilst this bill alone isn't going to sort that out, it does at least offer security to tenants who just want a secure roof over their head. It is one of the most important issues right now, and SIXTY MPs bother to turn up whilst the rest of them go out to the local ASDA to punch a few Granny's in the faint hope of getting 10% off of an overpriced knock-off telly.

Edited November 30, 201410 yr by Doctor Blind

Well QUITE.

 

I do find this all very depressing. Whilst the media continues to bang the drum about how immigration is the root of all our problems, there is absolutely nothing being done to address the housing crisis that is affecting London but also the vast majority of young people in this country. Whilst this bill alone isn't going to sort that out, it does at least offer security to tenants who just want a secure roof over their head. It is one of the most important issues right now, and SIXTY MPs bother to turn up whilst the rest of them go out to the local ASDA to punch a few Granny's in the faint hope of getting 10% off of an overpriced knock-off telly.

Indeed. Among the stories to have got more coverage than this story are "Labour MP takes picture of house" and "Still frame of Ed Miliband eating bacon roll makes him look awkward". Apparently those two stories are more important than "Tory MPs back landlords' right to evict tenants complaining about appalling accommodation".

 

It is also very unimpressive that so few MPs chose to stay to support this Bill. I suspect that some of them simply assumed that a few Tories would attempt to filibuster which meant it wasn't worth turning up.

quite agree. Renting is one of the huge problem areas in the UK due to the huge shortage of affordable homes. It's fairly basic ensuring landlords provide reasonable living standards. I'd go farther and make it law to provide properties that meet current standards BEFORE they are allowed to rent. Any second-property-owner that doesn't rent should pay more tax on it (as opposed to reduced council tax) cos they are just stopping others from having homes, keeping house prices high by speculating on property prices, and forcing up the profits made on but-to-lets. If rents dropped so would the number of landlords as people would choose to buy instead of renting as house prices drop.

 

Banks would be f*cked on all those bad loans they made on overpriced property values, for which I shout a hearty "serves you right".

 

House prices have been allowed to grow to ridiculous levels. Politicians have failed to build new ones, despite promises, to cushion the banks and their own income levels. What percentage of MP's have properties rented out I wonder?