Right to buy
February 15th, 2010
Stephen Greenhalgh and “decent neighbourhoods”
Anybody got anything intelligent to say about the continuing to stack the poorest and the most recently arrived on top of each other, in defined areas, for the rest of time?
Clearly you are right that this is not a good idea. However you have to look at the history to see why this now appears to be the case.
When RTB was introduced by Margaret Thatcher it was always going to be the most desirable properties in the best locations that went first to those who could afford the discounted prices. This inevitably altered the housing stock balance across the country adversely and tilted towards the estates which even if they had not been in trouble before now began to decline because tenants able to afford RTB on those estates moved out and let the flats to DSS tenants.
Eating on public transport
February 15th, 2010
The answer is no, eating ought to be banned on public transport in the same way that alcohol was. This has only come about because of the growth of the fast food industry and the subsequent demise of cheap places to sit down and eat with cutlery. The fast food industry has been allowed to grow unregulated while passing 50% of their responsibility (litter, unwashed hands, somewhere to sit down in comfort and eat) outside the door. It is true that McDonalds and perhaps others do pay their staff to clean up in the immediate area outside the door but beyond that litter is still dropped, and worse on windy days it can end up some way from its origin.
When more cafés existed it was only possible to take away food such as a sandwich in a brown paper bag, a piece of fruit, or a tea or coffee in a (chunky) polystyrene cup with a lid. https://www.classiccafes.co.uk shows the way things were and could be again. The only way to change this is by using them more and eating inside at the place of purchase, and not on public transport.