Budget 2017 - New houses - Driverless Cars

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  • It's almost the time of the year when the chancellor announces his magic potion for the country to make all things good with the world. Oh, I was just dreaming.:)

    In what maybe his last appearance as Chancellor (a lot may happen between now and Christmas) Philip Hammond will give his budget speech to parliament on Wednesday. And as always the case, most of the main items gets pre-announced. Why do they even bother with the speech, when they leak everything beforehand?

    Here's the headline item:

    Philip Hammond says next week's Budget will set out how the government will build 300,000 new homes a year.

    But the chancellor said there was no "single magic bullet" to increase housing supply and the government would not simply "pour money in".

    The Conservatives were always the party for home ownership, yet Cameron's government continued Labour's disinterest in the subject and did nothing. Not any-more under Theresa May.

    This measure is long overdue. The housebuilders are sitting on plenty of land, especially in London and the South East and just watching the value of that land rise in value. I don't blame them, they're job is to make money as they can and if they can do that by sitting on their arses and watching their assets grow in value without having to do anything, why not?

    The problem is that this does not get houses built which is sorely needed especially in London and the South East. May is finally doing something about this and good on her for doing so, so she's instructed Hammond to get the ball rolling here and it really needs to get rolling here. Fast.

    Driverless cars could be on UK roads within four years under government plans to invest in the sector.

    Chancellor Philip Hammond told the BBC the objective was to have "fully driverless cars" without a safety attendant on board in use by 2021.

    The other major Budget item that's pre-announced so far is new regs for driverless cars. I'm sure this subject will be much talked about on this site.

    Driverless cars are coming and we need the regulations in place to enable them. This is the first measure in that regards.

  • I think driver-less cars could be the answer to Britain's future if the initial test on the Mark I test car was on the top of Beachy Head and the rear seated passenger was Theresa May. Carved on her memorial stone would be that "she finally obtained the best deal for Britain"

  • Problem with the current chancellor or any other future chancellor closing tax loopholes, is, they would be closing these same loopholes off to themselves too. Which is why we still have them...

    I agree there are higher priorities other than driverless cars, but we have to start sometime. They're coming and it needs to be regulated and perhaps even taxed too.

  • Are driverless cars really an important issue for you and me ?

    Surely the whole point of owning your own car is to actually drive it. Otherwise it's a taxi and the incentive to actually buy one is diminished.

  • The UK must "seize the opportunities" from Brexit while tackling deep-seated economic challenges "head on", Philip Hammond is to say in his second Budget.

    The chancellor will promise investment to make Britain "fit for the future" as an "outward looking, free-trading nation" once it leaves the EU in 2019.

    At least Hammond can rest easy this time, that if he messes things up like the last Budget, there is no chance that May would sack him now, as she's too weak.

    As for the budget itself (on later today folks!!) lets wait and see what this investment is, I thought we had no money left...

  • I thought we had no money left...

    Apart from the money that May intends to bribe the EU with, funny how governments can find money when it suits them, I still remember when Cameron and his cronies said we had to save £12 billion by making welfare cuts but could still spend £12 billion on foreign aid.

  • Surely the whole point of owning your own car is to actually drive it. Otherwise it's a taxi and the incentive to actually buy one is diminished.

    I think that's a terrific point.

    Maybe the appeal of having your very own new driver-less car will depend on new product features for the owner such as:

    - An office with PC, scanner/copier

    - TV viewing den

    - Kitchen-dining area

    - Sleeping area

    - Bathroom (incl jaccuzzi?)

    I think it is entirely fitting that the initiative for a driver-less car should emanate from a leaderless government

    Soon after, the survivors of the first initiative can look forward to setting off on holiday with a pilot-less airline. Indeed, the Mark II driver-less car will become a driver-less-/pilot-less road-&-air hybrid.

    I think there are many benefits that will come from these initiatives, such as:

    - Controlling population growth

    - Relieving the pressure on the NHS, especially shortage of beds and nurses (assuming a high death:injury ratio)

    - Relieving the housing shortage (the driver-less car becomes one's new home or at least 2nd home)

    During the transition period, various car owning segments will get a Government grant/incentive to buy a driver-less car (or might be prohibited from self-drive). These segments could include those who are physically or mentally challenged or from an ethnic group who are endowed with an advanced sense of rhythm.

  • Good move on Stamp Duty.:thumbup::thumbup:

    It's abolished for those homes under 300k and as you can't buy a garage for 300k in London now, first time buyers in London get no stamp duty on the first 300k as long as the house is not over 500k. Good move.

    And threats to housebuilders too, about compulsory purchases of the land they're sitting on, or new taxes on them, if they don't start building.

  • Given the limited wiggle room it seems a fair effort to me. Pubs get a bit of relief from ever escalating booze taxes, motorists continue to avoid another fuel duty increase and some carefully targeted spending to boost the economy.

    Maybe I missed the gaffe?

  • Jezza already spending billions more on public services , lala land is back again.

    Let's hope he doesn't get in. We'll know soon, one way or the other, depending on how the Brexit negotations go.

    Given the limited wiggle room it seems a fair effort to me. Pubs get a bit of relief from ever escalating booze taxes, motorists continue to avoid another fuel duty increase and some carefully targeted spending to boost the economy.


    Maybe I missed the gaffe?

    I didn't see any gaffes by Hammond. As far as presentation goes, he's really good at it, although he made no mention of losing his job, like he did during the previous budget.:)

    The fuel duty freeze probably remains one of the most important things. If that goes up, so does the price of everything as all our goods need to be delivered and has a direct impact on the price of food we pay at the supermarket checkout.

  • Can't comment of that, as I didn't see it, by JC did one his "I've had a email from..." routine and he mentioned someone who got a job, but had his UC cut which led him into rent arrears. I do think the government need to "tweak " how UC is implemented and operated.

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