For the millions amongst you that’s been waiting in eager anticipation for the return of my Saturday guest post (OK, I might be slightly exaggerating there), I hope that the extra day you’ve had to wait hasn’t caused a major consternation for you. But, as the regular reader of my own blog knows, I’ve got a good excuse. Yesterday, I put on my best hunting jacket to find somewhere to live as of September when I join the hoards of people who do that strange thing called “work”. Successfully too …

Even if we ignore/excuse the massive amounts of lost data already by this government as institutional failings of the system and processes of the Civil Service rather than government ministers, these last two cannot be explained away like that.
Cabinet ministers are certainly directly responsible for these last two lapses – luckily it’s not our secrets that they’re letting out this time, but their own.
Both Caroline Flint and Hazel Blears have had their Cabinet briefing notes revealed through being photographed walking to the door of Number 10:
Caroline Flint’s revealed that …

Instead of letting MPs claim money to have a second home in London, it has now been suggested that we buy them a block of flats to use instead:
Taxpayers’ money could be used to buy a block of flats or a hotel in central London for MPs to stay in, a parliamentary committee charged with overhauling MPs’ expenses has disclosed.Buying accommodation rather than refunding MPs for the costs of mortgages or renting a second home would be more transparent, the House of Commons members estimate committee said.MPs can currently claim …

House prices are falling.
Home owners could see 25 per cent wiped off the value of their properties within two years, a leading economist has warned…The prediction came as a property market survey found house prices were falling in more than a quarter of the post codes in the country…It is the sixth month in a row that house prices have fallen and they are now falling in 28.8 per cent of all postcodes across the country. (The Telegraph)
On an entirely selfish note, all I can say is: Perfect! 2010 is …

This proposal by Carline Flint, he Housing minister, that unemployed people who live in council or housing association owned property should either get a job or leave their home is absurd. Making them homeless isn’t going to help anyone, and is hardly likely to enable them, to get a job after being evicted.
All people on Jobseeker’s Allowance should be expected to actively seek work, but not on the pain of losing their home. Rather, if they are serious about getting people into work and off state handouts, they should adopt …