In his 2008 book An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming, the late Nigel Lawson presented a persuasive … Continue reading “Why cutting immigration is not a substitute for reforming the housing market”

Boris Johnson has promised a “radical shakeup” of the planning system – the “biggest shake-up in 70 years” no less … Continue reading “Johnson’s “radical shakeup” of the planning system is not going to happen”

On November 22, the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution (HLSI) held a debate on the motion “This house believes that … Continue reading “Can tackling the housing crisis be left to the market?”

For decades, we have failed to build the homes we need, leading to home ownership slipping out of reach for … Continue reading “How to kickstart a self-building revolution”

What if we brought back the 1351 Statute of Labourers, and required a permit for people to live in a … Continue reading “Our terrible planning system causes untold damage to labour mobility and productivity”

One of my colleagues used to have a theory about how Britain’s housing crisis would eventually become self-limiting. It went … Continue reading “A lack of affordable housing doesn’t defy the laws of supply and demand – it proves them”

As the government creaks alarmingly under the weight of Brexit, it may seem odd – if not downright contrarian – … Continue reading “The housing crisis is pushing Brits towards the spectre of 1970s socialism”

I should not have let my optimistic side get the better of me. 2016 may be behind us, but its … Continue reading “Optimism Dashed: Reality of housing white paper is all politics, no economics”

It’s “Living Wage Week”. For seven days, the Living Wage Foundation’s campaign for employers to pay workers at least £8.25 … Continue reading “We need a ‘Living Cost Week’, not a Living Wage Week”