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Ben Reeve Lewis Friday Newsround #256

June 24, 2016 by Tessa J Shepperson

Ben on a chair[Ben Reeve Lewis is is glad the referendum is over…)

At last….peace reigneth….

I’m writing this pre the referendum results so I have no idea what happened yesterday but one thing I am eternally grateful for is that all the bullshit of the past few weeks is finally at an end, regardless of the result.

I was heartily sick of it. Cameron’s mean slit of an angry mouth, Gove’s botoxed features, Farrage’s Pound shop Enoch Powell (Thanks for Russell Brand for that one), Johnson’s fake harmless bumbling hiding a vicious heart.

The vote

For what its worth I actually voted to stay in but with about as much enthusiasm as a Turkey voting for Xmas. Mainly predicated that the thought of the capital ‘C’ conservative takeover of the country by the above named demons backing Brexit was more important than my own petty concerns.

I was originally for Brexit, based on the amount of scams I see each day perpetrated by clued up criminals intent on playing the homelessness /benefit system.

Shocking scams

Please don’t tell me this doesn’t go on. I’m the man dealing at the coalface of fake cleaning companies producing fake payslips at just exactly the right amount so it doesn’t reduce benefits who then fold up before you can get verification of a person’s eligibility.

Not to mention children imported from abroad and trafficked for sex using the benefits system who have to be taken into care…..that’s if we find them. Such is my daily life.

I cant even say I voted with my head rather than my heart.

Its not what you think

My thoughts were actually crystalized by this wonderful article.  Pointing out the following bit of wisdom:

“The Referendum is not about our fate in the EU, or controlling our borders, or protecting our sovereignty as a nation, or enhancing our democracy. It is, as is almost everything in modern politics, about wealth and power.”

Going on to say:

“All things considered, we are forced to conclude that the only groups to win from this EU Referendum are the very same groups that have won for the last two decades: those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Those who see the NHS not as the foundation rock of our public health, but as a cash cow, ripe for milking. Those who see housing not as the basis for family and community life, but as a market in which to speculate and accumulate.”

My thoughts exactly.

Whoever you vote for its always the government who gets in.

Immigration quote

Meanwhile I fell across an astonishing piece of linguistic sleight of mouth when mine jaded eye read this wonderful quote from Immigration minister James Brokenshire (and if ever there was an appropriate name for a minister at the moment this is it) on the new laws making landlords immigration inspectors:

“The Home Office are keen to stress that the new powers do not authorise unlawful eviction and to promote alternatives to eviction which include the tenants surrendering the tenancy.”

Hahahahaha

An alternative to eviction being the tenant leaving of their own accord under threat of arrest and deportation.   Dontcha just love Cognitive Linguistics?

Social housing rent increases

I really hesitate to quote any article by Joe Halewood, trading as SPeye, simply because he deals with hard figures and I cant even work a calculator and so I cant defend any arguments that may be mounted but he has written a piece about how between May 2010 and May 2015 council and housing association tenants have been charged rent increases of £6.3 billion more than the rate of inflation.

Rather than citing budget cuts and demand on resources Joe takes the view the social landlords have been taking the piss, saying:

“Doubtless the #ukhousing sector will dismiss this as yet another gripe against them from me yet as I always say facts are damn pesky”

I disagree and I’m more than happy to meet Joe in a car park to sort this out like men but not over a slide rule, where I fear I would lose.

Maybe he is right. Who knows?

Letting agent fees

Sadiq Khan is more understandable to me than Joe and his numbers (sorry Joe) I voted for him as London Mayor and have high hopes.

He has come out of the traps calling for a a name and shame campaign against rogue landlords.  Supported by the RLA reporting that 59% of landlords support forcing letting agents to provide a breakdown of their fees and 49% in favour of capping fees.

I completely understand landlords being in favour of this, given they are on the receiving end of such fees but so are tenants and nobody has put forward a voice for them on this subject.

Another example of how tenants rights groups fail to get their conjoined act together.

Herding cats

Generation rent made a promising fist of it but faded out of sight when Alex Hilton disappeared to Singapore and the momentum seems to be largely lost.  Trying to rally a disparate group of PRS tenants of all ages, social groups, incomes, vested interests proving to be like herding cats.

Did anyone ask tenants what they thought of Sadiq Khan’s approach? Does anyone care?

Probably not.

What made me smile this week.

Just getting the bloody referendum out of the way.

An end to project fear and project “Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler”

Dubious statistics of un-verified provenance, crystal ball speculation, false promises, playing to the lowest common denominator.

And basically….just being left alone.

See ya next week

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About Tessa J Shepperson

Tessa is a specialist landlord & tenant lawyer and the creator of this site! She is a director of Landlord Law Services which runs Landlord Law and Easy Law Training.

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Comments

  1. (Cap Park) Joe says

    June 24, 2016 at 7:42 AM

    Ben

    I actually have a slide rule (seriously) but in the case of social landlords its more of a snide rule.

    The increases above inflation are correct at £6.3 billion and were government policy yet social landlords bleat about private landlords (often rightly) taking the piss; however since May 10 election average HB to private landlords has fallen in actual terms while to social landlords it has increased by over 20% in actual terms.

    People who manage glass houses should not throw stones is the point

  2. Ben Reeve-Lewis says

    June 24, 2016 at 8:57 AM

    Right….sleeves rolled up and to the car park with you young man!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Colin Lunt says

    June 24, 2016 at 10:03 AM

    The B….S post referendum is just begining. I fear the future of social renting and also for the consequenes for private tenants as the likely leadership of government are even more likely to cut back on ‘red tape’ and unnecessary interference of government

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