How will your vote affect the construction industry?

How will your vote affect the construction industry?

Whether you are a labour believer:

“Britain is in the midst of the biggest housing crisis in a generation, with the lowest levels of house building in peacetime since the 1920s […] We will make sure that at least 200,000 homes a year get built by 2020 – almost double the current level”– labour manifesto, page 45

Or conservative:

"These past five years have been about reversing this trend. We have unblocked the planning system, to help builders start building again. We have introduced Help to Buy, making it much easier for people to secure a mortgage. And we have reinvigorated the Right to Buy which Labour had cut back, extending home ownership to a whole new generation of social tenants. As a result, over 200,000 people have been helped either on or up the housing ladder. Most of those helped have been young first-time buyers spread right across our country." - conservative manifesto, page 53

Or even UKIP:

"We will take steps to remove the barriers to brownfield builds with the aim of building one million homes on brownfield sites by 2025 to address the current housing shortage." - UKIP manifesto, page 33

The fact remains that house building and the construction industry in general is key factor for gaining voters. Putting your own opinion aside for a moment, one of the three will gain power of the government. What I want to know from you is who do you think will deliver on their promises to the building industry specifically? We have seen evidence in the past of Labour's trends as well as Conservative's too. Is it time for new blood and a chance for a real delivery of promises from UKIP? 

A quick look at some figures (www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn01432.pdf) from the house of commons library shows Labour takeover government in 1997 with a growing and stable construction industry. There are some good figures until the crash in 2008/2009 which was followed by the 2010 appointment of the coalition and David Cameron's job of picking up the pieces. A job which I feel he has done well and is clear in the growth of the construction industry to date, considering 2014 is highly recognised as one of the best in the last decade for house building and the construction industry in general.

After taking note of the above, trends in previous governments and the promises of each party; who do we want to entrust with our fragile industry which not only dictates the future of employment, living standards and a large percentage of our economy but our capabilities to withstand population growth, the future of our working man, investor and even those on benefits. Can we risk handing the reins to a new government in UKIP? Do we want to take away from a government already making a change in the conservatives?  Do we want to give Labour a chance to prove their capabilities? 

I am not talking about all the other factors, promises or past behaviour of any of the parties in any other field. As far as construction goes I want your view on who we should trust. Comment below, the open floor is yours. The only thing I ask is keep it clean, polite and no slating other people's opinions. This is a debate not a battlefield.

Mike O'Toole

Freelance Writer and Editor

9 年

I don't particularly like any of the parties offerings generally, but in terms of housing, can I just remind everyone that as soon as the current bunch came to power, they effectively stopped house building while they carried out their Spending Review in 2010. It never really recovered, and "unblocking the Planning system" didn't help much either. It wasn't Planning that stopped most house building, it was the credit crunch. The Conservative plans to increase the Right to Buy scheme will not provide new homes, it will in fact reduce the number of affordable rented accommodation available.

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John Toms

Senior Loss Adjuster

9 年

Significant focus; they're the only party to actually have a focus on growth. Also the only party to actually build social housing, new hospitals, create Innovation Centres Scotland, The Hub, and a focus on local jobs and local infrastructure. They've also built roads and bridges and kept them within & under budget. I'd suggest researching them non-media. Get the facs from BusinessforScotland or via Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp. Thanks

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John Toms

Senior Loss Adjuster

9 年

Peter, UKIP isn't one of the major parties, at all. Neither are Lib Dems. SNP are larger than both parties combined in terms of membership. I'm not clear that UKIP will even achieve above 5 seats, versus 45+ for SNP. Just a thought when posting on political issues that the world extends beyond London!

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John Toms

Senior Loss Adjuster

9 年

Only 3 political parties? All 3 have continued austerity as their agenda & a focus on retention of nuclear bombs.

Wrong place for this chat my friend.

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