Too right, remember Dame Porter? selling houses for votes.... apparently even Thatcher found her scarey....

One could but not agree when the subject of activism (it is like...does that mean we have to get up and do someting??Why bother at the end of the day they(govt,company,boss whatever,)will get what they want..go with the flow..)is mentioned in the same breath as Australia,although i have met a few.
I still consider London to be a left leaning city in general amoung those with at least some resembilance of an education and the people that i know still there remain very liberal minded and not the least bit retiring in standing up and defending what they believe.

Except it doesn't.

House-specific expenditure by councils (like waste collection) is a very small part of their budget.

Parks & Gardens - do 5 people in a house get 5 times the benefit than a single occupier of the parks and gardens - yes they all get to use it, not just one of them

Roads - do 5 people travelling off in different directions each day get 5 times the use of the roads - yes

Libraries, Police, sports centers, trading standards, environmental health, fire brigade, and on.

Always noting that poll tax or council tax only generates about 25% of the funds needed by local authorities, the rest coming from business rates and central government.

Yes Remember well. what a sham.

My father did really well out of those council dwelling sell offs, he bought his Grand Parents and Uncles very long term council dwellings in their name and let them live in them at a peppercorn rent, on the proviso they got left to him.

Caused all sorts of bother at will time with my Uncle and Aunts. Although he did clearly let them know and give them access at the time of purchase.

Wasn't the sort of behaviour you would expect from a true believer like my Father.

It was a one-off cash bung to the working class, paid for by taxpayers contributions to local authorities coffers over the preceding 50+ years.

I cannot see how giving someone a 70% discount on buying a house can ever be justified, when other people down the road were having to struggle to pay 100% for their property (and pay their taxes which helped build the council house in the first place).

I seem to remember that councils were prevented from reinvesting any of the receipts from these sales into building new council houses.

Yeah thats right! and surprise surprise homelessness increased to previously unknown proportions......well, since the war

No way at all could it be justified.Agree completely with sentiments expressed but would go on to say i would be equally any bail out of people now who took on more than they would be able to pay in the advent of a down turn.

Yes one of Maggies New(for the time) Proletarian Capitalists She (Maggie) would have been mighty proud of what she spawned. A real success story showing the results of the caring side of Thatcherism.

Cutting back on bed availability in Mental Health Units and Hospitals as part of the policy to deinstitutionize(real aim was to save money)was also a very big component that saw many more on the streets homeless

am very disappointed to have been shut out of this discussion earlier by a poxy power cut!
Would like to request the name of the political group that has treated all with fairness and equality am unaware that any party has ever existed. have missed out on several opportunities to give you another mindexpanding view on your mindnumbing opinions. will just have to agree to disagree and I will leave knowing what type of people I have been dealing with were the types to drop others in the shit by not paying thier way and leaving them to have to deal with the stress of court orders for other peoples total selfishness -congratulations, a true leftie - take what you can then leave and screw the rest- you must be very proud - next time you are about to critcise bludgers-just have a little pause and think before you speak out....

Still dispute fairness of Poll Tax in place of paying tax on the type of house one lives in.(which equates to value or rental value of property owned)
Besides some if not most services mentioned are not for the exclusive use of payers in that area but for all..roads is an example......At the end of the day it is ones philosophical stance on this issue that will determine which side of the fence they belong to with regards to the rights and wrongs of this impost.

Very likely no political party or group that you would show any interest in being part of and yes i am very proud to stand by what i believe to be right and true.
Further i am fully willing to face the consequences of these actions.
What are you prattling on about with regards to drop others in the shit??Take what you can and screw the rest sounds to me to be more than likely a feature from the side of politics you hail from. Regarding the statement to
Criticize bludgers what are you ranting there about pal?
A word, get of your high horse, the reflection i suggest is required on your side of the court.

Forgot to mention went years seldom paying a London Underground ticket or bus for that matter used to spend me dole money wacked out on Woodpeckers cider in the local park and when tanked up and skint would threaten to vomit over American tourists in The Circus tell you it worked almost every time so Mrs your post is frightenly accurate theres just no escaping past misdeeds.

at least we both have a senes of humour