Yet again we face serious times and grave challenges. It won’t be enough to promise jam to the people. Jam will need to be on the table, and at a price that can be afforded.
I would like to see a new ‘COP26 for migrants’ – a new global agreement to update the post-Second World War Refugee Convention for the modern era.
The bottom line is that no-one has to make these dangerous journeys. We need to be crystal clear about that.
We need to be clear and robust when it comes to tackling security and ending the abuses of European human rights laws.
The new Prime Minister needs to dream a dream for all of us, and then put in place the political measures to make it a reality.
There is compelling evidence that there are only two tenures – social housing and home ownership – by which wellbeing of people is supported effectively.
Right now, a whole host of things are said to be top infrastructure priorities. Yet, remarkably, housing is not among them. This needs to change.
It both firmly believes in home-owning democracy and aims to be a friend to renters too.
For every safe home we make for our refugee neighbours, we could build up to another two or more homes to meet current domestic need, across all tenures.
Modernisation of the current arrangements for leases would bring the arrangements into line with modern housing choices.
This government must empower and inspire today’s young to achieve under it what their parents did under Thatcher and Major.
As well as a mechanism for home ownership, the finances must be right, too.
The UK has a poor record on home ownership, which has been in decline since 2003. Here is a potential solution.
There is a moral in the conflated row exactly a week ago over Lord Freud’s remarks.
Rent freezes, tax relief on mortgage interest payments, and targeted aid to pensioners all need to be on the table.