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johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jul 15

Read all about it. www.edp24.co.uk/news/2530605...

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jun 16

Out on September 15th, also from Amberley Publishing. Nothing much political about this one.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jun 1

Out on July 15th, from Amberley Publishing. The death of a national asset foretold.

How Labour can make homes more affordable | Letters

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jun 1

Out on July 15th from Amberley Publishing. The death of a national asset foretold.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Feb 24

Indeed. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Letters: Puncturing this Ponzi scheme is the only way, writes John Worrall. Starmer doesn’t have the guts, says Stan Collins. And Rob Harris doesn’t want to see capital gains tax applied to his home

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Feb 19

How Labour can make homes more affordable | Letters

Letters: Puncturing this Ponzi scheme is the only way, writes John Worrall. Starmer doesn’t have the guts, says Stan Collins. And Rob Harris doesn’t want to see capital gains tax applied to his home

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

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johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Feb 18

How Labour can make homes more affordable | Letters

Letters: Puncturing this Ponzi scheme is the only way, writes John Worrall. Starmer doesn’t have the guts, says Stan Collins. And Rob Harris doesn’t want to see capital gains tax applied to his home

How Labour can make homes more affordable | Letters

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Feb 2

….and again. www.theguardian.com/society/2025... What say @2manyhouses.bsky.social @rosie400.bsky.social @danicapriest.bsky.social @smartgrowthuk.bsky.social @explorerdale.bsky.social @ldw1.bsky.social ?

Letters: Puncturing this Ponzi scheme is the only way, writes John Worrall. Starmer doesn’t have the guts, says Stan Collins. And Rob Harris doesn’t want to see capital gains tax applied to his home

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johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 13

..and make inherited property wealth a separate tax category.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 7

....and here's the other:

There would of course be negative equity and grief for the banks – they whose profligacy led to the financial crisis at the root of this housing crisis.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 7

...here's one:

Greater affordability means the values of all homes coming down, but for that to happen within the mortgageable years of the present un-endowed cohort would now take the puncturing of this Ponzi scheme by government intervention.

So much for the dream of buying a family home | Letters

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 7

Another in a continuing series. It's a bit filleted and though the general thrust is intact, see replies below for two missing paragraphs..... www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Letters: John Worrall, Ed Brierley and Will Wright respond to an article by Kirsty Major on the struggles many face to climb the property ladder

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johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 7

...and here's the other....

There would of course be negative equity and grief for the banks – they whose profligacy led to the financial crisis at the root of this housing crisis.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Jan 7

....and so I give you two missing paragraphs.. Here's one:

Greater affordability means the values of all homes coming down, but for that to happen within the mortgageable years of the present un-endowed cohort would now take the puncturing of this Ponzi scheme by government intervention.
....

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 24

Developers won’t increase supply to where they have to drop prices. They pocket the planning consents and take their time, and threat of fines wouldn’t impel them because they wouldn’t take on sites with such unquantifiable downsides. Starmer and Rayner should acknowledge that – if they know it.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 14

Supply can’t fix affordability because, even if simple arithmetic didn’t rule it out, developers as ever won’t increase it to the point where they have to drop prices. They’ll simply pocket planning consents and take their time. “Skills shortage” is being wheeled out as a smokescreen for that.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 13

A lot have commandeered living units to turn into private profit streams through Airbnb and the like, decimating the private rented sector in many areas. One urgent need is for short-term holiday lets to need planning consents.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 13

Prices have risen not through shortage but a decade and a half of interest rates near zero when investors moved cash from deposit into bricks and mortar, prices then consolidated by snowballing inherited property wealth. No arbitrary building targets will get anywhere near correcting that.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 13

For supply to lower house prices would need developers to increase it to the point where they had to drop prices and then keep building – and incurring losses – while prices continue to fall. Get that past the shareholders? Don’t think so.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 13

My kids never dung that for me. I've had a deprived parenthood.

There’s no point building homes that people can’t afford | Letters

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 12

For supply to fix affordability, even if simple arithmetic allowed it, developers would have to increase it to where they had to drop prices and keep building while prices kept falling. But they’ll pocket the planning consents and take their time. She knows that...or should.

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 12

Prices have been inflated by low interest rates, not shortage, and could be brought down by puncturing – several options available. But that would mean negative equity and grief for the banks. So the default is to protect the haves from the have-nots.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Letters: Readers respond to Polly Toynbee’s article about the tussle between central government and local planners in Kent

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 8

There’s no point building homes that people can’t afford | Letters

Letters: Readers respond to Polly Toynbee’s article about the tussle between central government and local planners in Kent

johnrworrall.bsky.social @johnrworrall.bsky.social · Dec 8

Most of them grasp it. They just avoid the fact that for prices to return to mortgageable multipliers of average earnings would need a puncturing of the market (many options available) and thus negative equity and grief for the banks. So the default is to protect the haves against the have-nots.