* is so amused by this policy exchange thing *

Wanna fix the link for Schmoo on the run?

Am I the only liberal on the planet blogging about that jolly good Policy Exchange/Tim Leunig report?

Jock, I’m still trying to read through it, but overall it seems both coherent and to make sense. Perhaps some people should actually, y’know, read the damn thing?

It’s palpable that most journalists didn’t and the headline writers did even less.

I agree - it was clear last night that C4 news nor John Precott had actually read it.

A brief critical comment here (although I agree that much of the hysterics don’t seem to be informed):

http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2008/08/13/that-insane-report/

Jock,

You need to start sending your relevant posts to tips[at]liberalconspiracy[dot]org and we can include them in the main roundup. We try and scout around for the best, but we can’t get around the entire blogosphere!

I didn’t know about the address Aaron, but to be fair this one was only completed at lunchtime today so wouldn’t ever have made it into todays!

I should add jock to my list to check, I have meant to for a while, I’ll sort out the schmoo link…can’t believe I missed it

I’ve also not read the report, I just wanted to pick out some more of the seemingly considered views…even if only considered on statements made in the press. The ePolitix article is interesting to read on the basis it seems to come from a versed angle.

I will read the report when I get time…like…after the Olympics, maybe.

Thanks for the link, Lee!

No worries, Jock.

Also, nice post.

I read the Policy Exchange report and agree that the media summaries don’t do it justice - it is far, far worse than people who haven’t read it are making out, and there are lots of completely and totally off the wall ideas which haven’t really been picked up on.

…such as, Dan?

Just to pick a few - closing all the sorting offices in London and sending the post to Leicester and back; passing the profits from new developments on to bribe nimbies in affluent areas; ringfencing new social housing in London for people from northern towns and, my favourite, buying up houses in the north and selling them at below market rate to the neighbours to convert into bigger houses rather than redeveloping areas.

Best summary was a comment on Tory Troll - ‘It seems to be proposing extreme laissez-faire economics for the north, whilst the south east and particularly London are to be subjected to massive command-and-control style house building, far in excess of what the supposedly green-belt destroying, high-density skyscraper loving Labour government and former Mayor ever suggested.’