Reply to: Coming over here, taking our jobs...

[Old Greg]

Well if we pay less housing benefit for expensive London by creating work elsewhere and moving people then maybe London can pay less tax?

Washington, LA & San Francisco managed it! Miami, Boston & Dallas are pretty keen.

Because once we have expanded to the green belt we can't get it back.

Why build down south when we have empty houses and brown field sites up north?

USA has five times to population of the UK. It's really hard to see how you can 'create work' elsewhere. The businesses are just going to move to other world cities. I wish it wasn't so.

The this with the green belt, is we create a new green belt. We shouldn't be bound by generations old planning decisions.

[vetran]

Perhaps taxes from London already pay for housing benefit?

We could aspire to all sorts of things but it's difficult to plan a world city with London on the doorstep. Why not just extend the green belt?

Well if we pay less housing benefit for expensive London by creating work elsewhere and moving people then maybe London can pay less tax?

Washington, LA & San Francisco managed it! Miami, Boston & Dallas are pretty keen.

Because once we have expanded to the green belt we can't get it back.

Why build down south when we have empty houses and brown field sites up north?

[Old Greg]

Why not aspire to Birmingham, Manchester & Glasgow becoming Alpha or Alpha+ cities?

We don't have a lot of green belt in Global terms, why not diversify and build the rest of the country rather than packing everything into one city.

If your argument is working population should go up in London lets remove housing benefit and let the city pay for its own accommodation?

Perhaps taxes from London already pay for housing benefit?

We could aspire to all sorts of things but it's difficult to plan a world city with London on the doorstep. Why not just extend the green belt?

[vetran]

I want to extend the Green Belt. I've already said that. If you want a static population, how will you encourage people to leave as the population ages?



Do you believe that manufacturing is the main driver of economic growth in London?



London is a world city. By one categorisation, it is one of two alpha++ cities, along with NYC. Global city - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you think we can spread business around the UK? Do you think that new or growing businesses, where the potential for economic growth lies, are choosing between London and Birmingham, or between London and New York (or Singapore etc.)?

London is where the action is and it is an expensive place to live, and always will be. However, the cost of living can be reduced by extending the green belt.

Why not aspire to Birmingham, Manchester & Glasgow becoming Alpha or Alpha+ cities?

We don't have a lot of green belt in Global terms, why not diversify and build the rest of the country rather than packing everything into one city.

If your argument is working population should go up in London lets remove housing benefit and let the city pay for its own accommodation?

[Old Greg]

Well if you want to go back to the slums of London with people packed in like Sardines then fine. I'm quite happy with it to stay static.[/url]

I want to extend the Green Belt. I've already said that. If you want a static population, how will you encourage people to leave as the population ages?

Economic growth doesn't demand more workers in London unless you are building factories.

Do you believe that manufacturing is the main driver of economic growth in London?

There are plenty of areas outside London with Brownfield sites, we need to spread business out across the UK.

London is a world city. By one categorisation, it is one of two alpha++ cities, along with NYC. Global city - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you think we can spread business around the UK? Do you think that new or growing businesses, where the potential for economic growth lies, are choosing between London and Birmingham, or between London and New York (or Singapore etc.)?

London is where the action is and it is an expensive place to live, and always will be. However, the cost of living can be reduced by extending the green belt.

[vetran]

The population of London is lower than it was in 1939, yet house prices have gone up in real terms. Economic growth in London demands more workers.


How much population growth would you like to see (in London or the UK)?

Well if you want to go back to the slums of London with people packed in like Sardines then fine. I'm quite happy with it to stay static.

London's population over time | Poverty Indicators | London's Poverty Report

Economic growth doesn't demand more workers in London unless you are building factories.

UK population: how will it change over the next few decades? | News | theguardian.com

There are plenty of areas outside London with Brownfield sites, we need to spread business out across the UK.

[Old Greg]

Or reduce population growth. Oh look an elephant in the room!

The population of London is lower than it was in 1939, yet house prices have gone up in real terms. Economic growth in London demands more workers.


How much population growth would you like to see (in London or the UK)?

[vetran]

The minimum wage / living wage conundrum is difficult, particularly where the cost of living is high. An obvious part solution is to reduce the cost of living (which in London and SE is largely driven by property prices).

So, a couple of law changes are required IMO to tackle property prices.

1. Extend the London green belt outwards by a mile or thereabouts.
2. State compulsory purchase agricultural land in this new area at current agricultural land prices + a premium (e.g. 50 to 100%). Grant outline planning permission to the land for residential and commercial uses. Auction off most of the land to developers / self-builders with stipulations that parcels must be built on within certain time periods (so they are not hoarded). Use a proportion of the significant profits on the land not sold off to build infrastructure for new areas and social housing. Use the rest of the profits to pay down the national debt.

There will be significant job creation in building, and cost of living will come down as accommodation becomes available. Listen out for the squealing of vested interests, which is of course why this will never happen.

Or reduce population growth. Oh look an elephant in the room!

[d000hg]

Mid range - TGI fridays / Nandos etc Being asked every 50 seconds if I'm enjoying the meal would I like any drinks?? when they are quiet is annoying. But when then they are busy I know I will wait 20 minutes for them, another 20 mins for the drinks to arrive and then they will get them wrong. If I could order at the table the bus boy can drop them round quickly.

Yes this was more the scenario I was thinking of, not fine dining establishments where you are likely to ask the waiter questions about the food and expect them to know the answers.

[Old Greg]

The minimum wage / living wage conundrum is difficult, particularly where the cost of living is high. An obvious part solution is to reduce the cost of living (which in London and SE is largely driven by property prices).

So, a couple of law changes are required IMO to tackle property prices.

1. Extend the London green belt outwards by a mile or thereabouts.
2. State compulsory purchase agricultural land in this new area at current agricultural land prices + a premium (e.g. 50 to 100%). Grant outline planning permission to the land for residential and commercial uses. Auction off most of the land to developers / self-builders with stipulations that parcels must be built on within certain time periods (so they are not hoarded). Use a proportion of the significant profits on the land not sold off to build infrastructure for new areas and social housing. Use the rest of the profits to pay down the national debt.

There will be significant job creation in building, and cost of living will come down as accommodation becomes available. Listen out for the squealing of vested interests, which is of course why this will never happen.

[Mich the Tester]

But to be honest if I had a premium restaurant which had privacy as one of its selling points with booths a small buzzer or a pullcpord to summon assistance in the corner might be popular.

If the staff are competent you won't need that. Unfortunately too many restaurant staff seem to walk about and glance around pretending to look if guests require attention but don´t actually see anything. I think they're sort of simulating work. It's a shame because well trained restaurant staff can increase revenues without makin guests feel hassled, and can actually make a good career for themselves in the long run. Trouble is, too many restaurant owners take a very short term view, thinking there's no point in training people who'll leave after a short time. There is however a point, if those people leave to work in well known smart restaurants which are often fully booked and have a list of places they sent guests they´ve had to turn down due to full bookings.

[vetran]

Some restaurants value giving their guests (guests, not customers), the chance of some social interaction with staff; that can be particularly enjoyable when 'Solo Dining' (see another thread) and people tend to return to a restaurant that has friendly staff. Maybe you're just too much of a nerd

I think you are missing the distinction between Restaurants and Fast Food restaurants. Burger / chicken in a bun chains etc are about speed & volume. Interaction with the customer is styled on supermarkets.

McDonalds already have sites with order and pay at a computer kiosk. I find them quite pleasant compared to queueing with the unwashed.

Mid range - TGI fridays / Nandos etc Being asked every 50 seconds if I'm enjoying the meal would I like any drinks?? when they are quiet is annoying. But when then they are busy I know I will wait 20 minutes for them, another 20 mins for the drinks to arrive and then they will get them wrong. If I could order at the table the bus boy can drop them round quickly.

But to be honest if I had a premium restaurant which had privacy as one of its selling points with booths a small buzzer or a pullcpord to summon assistance in the corner might be popular.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't understand why more restaurants don't put ordering systems in tables, or at least an airplane style "assistance please" button. Maybe I'm just too much of a nerd

Some restaurants value giving their guests (guests, not customers), the chance of some social interaction with staff; that can be particularly enjoyable when 'Solo Dining' (see another thread) and people tend to return to a restaurant that has friendly staff. Maybe you're just too much of a nerd

[d000hg]

I don't understand why more restaurants don't put ordering systems in tables, or at least an airplane style "assistance please" button. Maybe I'm just too much of a nerd

[mos]

The son's spirit is now being crushed and we replace them with a Polish Professor cleaning bogs.

Obvious solution:
a. Import less unskilled immigration under the skilled label
b. Give back dignity to artisan jobs
c. Stop stereotyping Polish intelligentsia working in the UK.