Daily Archives: November 25, 2015

Diane Coyle Autumn Statement: Osborne’s housing plans are not nearly enough

| Nov 25 2015 16:59 | Comments |

Who could fail to welcome the announcement in the Autumn Statement of funding aimed at delivering 400,000 new housebuilding starts by 2021? It is, the government claims, “the most ambitious plan since the 1970s to build homes that support working people in their aim to buy their own home.”

Welcome news, then, but not nearly enough to address the crisis. There was far more housebuilding in the 1970s than in recent years; but it was already declining then, and we now have a much bigger, richer population and therefore more demand for home ownership. What’s more, almost all the government’s previous measures on housing have increased demand. The market still needs a much bigger increase in supply, big enough to bring prices down. “Affordable” means lower prices, not more access to finance to pay higher prices. Read more

Ivo Daalder For Russia and Turkey, prevention is better than escalation

| Nov 25 2015 06:00 | Comments |

It was only a matter of time. Sooner or later Moscow’s irresponsible military behaviour was going to lead to an accident. After giving Russia “repeated warnings” not to enter into its airspace, Turkey did what it said it would do: it shot down a Russian fighter jet that had entered its airspace and refused to leave despite numerous warnings.

This incident was completely predictable — indeed, many had warned repeatedly that it was only a matter of time. Ever since its decision in February 2014 to resort to military force in Ukraine, Russia’s military has behaved in irresponsible ways. Its fighter jets have flown without transponders, making the aircraft invisible to civilian traffic. Its fighters have buzzed US and Nato naval vessels. Its troops have been called up in snap exercises and massed close to neighbouring borders. Its bombers have flown close to Nato territory on simulated bombing missions. And then, two months ago, Moscow deployed thousands of troops and large numbers of combat aircraft into Syria with no warning or consultations. Read more