iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Move out of London and vote for town council?

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Or taken a good idea that’s desperately needed and sent out a message that says don’t touch with a bargepole Thankfully it also features a scheme that seems not to be a rip-off

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Watching Tonight on ITV and wondering if any sector has done more to trash their own brand than retirement home developers

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(Good politics as in many more people - potential Tory voters - believe they’d be caught by IHT than ever would be)

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Neal Hudson @resi-analyst.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Good politics, bad tax policy, terrible housing policy

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Reposted by Jules Birch

Home Builders Federation on "planning fundamentalism" From yesterday's HMI report(£) www.house-builder.co.uk/publications...

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Not sure they're doing this right. Surely it should be 'a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence' www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

telegraph.co.uk

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I think scrapping stamp duty will go straight into higher prices and benefit existing owners - like scrapping mansion tax. Stamp duty is a terrible tax that depresses transactions and building but scrapping it needs to be part of wider property tax reform

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Main beneficiaries of Tory plans to cut inheritance tax, scrap stamp duty on primary residences and abolish the mansion tax would be affluent existing home owners (ie traditional Tory voters). Would mean a short-term boost to house prices and probably housebuilding too but at what long-term cost?

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Heaven protect us from people seen as a 'rising star' in their party

Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Latest from the Tory conference includes the shadow housing secretary suggesting that the Renters Rights Act has 'got to go' before realising that too was initially a Tory idea (on the grounds that the party had to do something to appeal to young people and renters)

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Reposted by Jules Birch

Matthew Mckeague @memckeague.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

As part of our 50th anniversary @archhfund.org.uk we've put together a list of 25 standout projects, which includes the wonderful Jubilee Pool in Penzance. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Cornwall's Jubilee Pool named in list of 25 standout UK projects

The Architectural Heritage Fund has named 25 projects as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

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I’d like to think you have to be of a certain age to appreciate whisky properly.. or something like that

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Drove into Central London and across South London for the first time in years recently - my strong impression was that the congestion charge, low emission zone and 20mph limit have made it a bit quicker and far less stressful

Would we remember late Wenger period differently if Sham City hadn’t signed five of our players on the back of their £100m a season cheating?

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Kemistry I think she calls it…

Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Natural England is the only one I’ve spotted in the coverage so far that was set up by a Labour government

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If only there were a recent example from another sphere of society that shows how this works

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

No sign of any others - must think he’s a cow

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Badenoch on Burnham: 'He does not have a diagnosis of what has gone wrong in the UK beyond privatisation and Margaret Thatcher' www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... Badenoch's diagnosis of how to put things right? Privatisation and Margaret Thatcher

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Reposted by Jules Birch

Alf Dubs @alfdubs.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I'm so very sad to hear of the death of Esther Ranzen who played an important role in reuniting me with Nicky Winton - the man who saved my life. It's so desperately sad that she couldn't choose assisted dying as was her wish.

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Playing full back in rugby as a kid I once headed the ball into touch. It seemed the smart way to avoid being killed by the opposition forwards swarming towards me. Also realised I was playing the wrong game www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-...

bbc.co.uk

URC: Callum Sheedy 'header' goes viral as Cardiff fly-half admits surprise

Cardiff fly-half Callum Sheedy says he did not realise his "header" against Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship (URC) game would go viral.

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Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

There’s a strong argument that choices under Thatcherism led to current state of pensions and social care too: only uprating pensions for inflation led to poverty then triple lock to make up for it; belief in small state led to care home privatisation and leaving crippling costs with individuals

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Starting point for the sanctions clearly has to be a fine of £900m (uprated for inflation) just for these offences - and that’s before you get to the other charges

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A pensions double lock from 2030... adjusted over time with earnings as well. Have to declare an interest but think that could make it much easier for a future govt to quietly drop, see what happened under Thatcher when it only rose by inflation

'Energy, water, housing back under stronger public control' will require more than he's done so far on council housing

'End the need for rough sleeping' sounds a bit different to (and more realistic than) the 'we will end rough sleeping in our country' in his first speech as PM

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The specifics? Your First Home for those 'not backed by Bank of Mum and Dad'. Leasehold reform. Powers for councils to take over long term empty homes and worst-quality rentals that landlords won't improve. Not much on council and social housing beyond 'biggest since the post-war era' line

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Good Burnham vibes: 'With a good home everything is possible. Without one it feels like nothing is' 'I am specific about council housing because we need to restore stronger democratic control over our housing stock' 'We don't let people sell food which damages health so why allow it with homes?'

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So far et least I don’t think any HA has gone under - there’s always been an organised takeover by a bigger HA. Problem will be when a big one runs into problems

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It is a technicality but not just a technicality - all HA debt was reclassified as public sector in 2015 (ish) because ONS judged their was too much public control

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Yes that’s exactly what I was thinking of, though it’s a bit of a game persuading ONS. Last time i looked at % of allocations to homeless it was surprisingly low and think that has to change given costs of TA to councils

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When do you think we’ll reach an adequacy level on current trajectory?

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If you really want public control then change the rules that put council housing in a financial straitjacket

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