Forum Topic

Teacher recruitment

TW8.com headline:"Ruth Cadbury tells Commons of recruitment crisis for headteachers in the borough."When asked, the problem for teachers (like many other workers) is affordable homes in London.When will politicians stop describing the problems and start suggesting the remedy? All homes have to be built on land. Land is a free gift of nature. We spend no capital and no labour to provide land. We voluntary chose to pay other residents of our planet for permission to use land. Land that has been stolen from us and our ancestors over generations. If we collected land rent for the public purse, land would become affordable, empty homes and brownfield sites would be brought into use. Taxes on wages (income tax and NICs) and taxes on trade (vat) could be dropped, we'd keep more of our  hard-earned cash to spend, and we would have affordable homes not only for our teachers - but for all workers.

Dave Wetzel ● 3872d3 Comments

What I don't understand is why the empty properties all over the borough can't be taken into public use and let? Just take a look around and you will be astounded at the amount of property standing derelict and/or boarded up, no developer should be allowed to build any new homes and especially not on Green Belt land until and unless all the other options have been brought back into use.I agree we get a lot of bleating from politicians but not much in the way of planning for homes on a large scale, and the latest lunacy from this government is going to make matters even worse.

Vanessa Smith ● 3871d

What I don't understand is why the empty properties all over the borough can't be taken into public use and let? Just take a look around and you will be astounded at the amount of property standing derelict and/or boarded up, no developer should be allowed to build any new homes and especially no on Green Belt land until and unless all the other options have been brought back into use.I agree we get a lot of bleating from politicians but not much in the way of planning for homes on a large scale, and the latest lunacy from this government is going to make matters even worse.

Vanessa Smith ● 3871d

Yes Dave. In an ideal world, even a capitalist one, that would be reasonable and fair. But it is not.The fact that locally, aside from public parks and open spaces, smaller industrial sites that still provide long term steady employment to a great many genuine local people, there is no land left. Open space in a metropolis under one of the most busy flight paths in the world, cut through by some of the UKs busiest roads, open space, vegetation and trees,waterways, needs to remain that. Not just for the need for people to have a quality of life but environmentally.The options for compulsory purchase of land is rarely exercised,when it is it is usually to prise out small fry to suit developers and their partners.It's not just people being forced out, it is small businesses and industries.And worst of all, it is local Labour administrations who have happily presided over this and are still doing so.Not that the opposition have come up with anything sound either.It's never going to change is it?

Raymond Havelock ● 3872d