Tory conference begins today

[ZoyzaSorris]

I mean I was right about Jeremy Corbyn's appeal to the nation wasn't I and you were wrong.

You predicted the largest increase in Labour's vote since 1945?  Not how I remember it

[Buelligan]

Was thinking about all of this today, just riffing on why the tories are so fucking mad to get everyone back in their offices and I had a small thought.  Sure, you know there are all these issues around the economy that services workers - sandwiches and so on but, let's be honest, the people're gonna eat.  If Pret sells them a sarnie or the Coop sells them the makings, it's still money going through the tills.  It's not as if UKGov is completely in the hands of Big Bap.  No, there has to be more here.

And then I thought, what is one of the absolute untouchable monoliths of capitalist neoliberal religion in the UK?  And, of course, it's house prices.  Imagine what would happen to them, what would happen to landlord incomes too, if all that city centre office space became redundant.  Got turned into homes ffs?  Frightening, isn't it?

This is why we must get back into our hutches.  Because, if we don't, everyone (nearly everyone) will be able to afford their own home either to rent or buy.

[olliebean]

I think it's pretty well established that the Tories receive significant donations from commercial property owners who make money from renting office space and are therefore dependent on as many people as possible working in offices rather than from home. That's almost certainly what's behind this big drive to get people back to the office.

[Zetetic]

And plenty of Tory MPs etc have interests themselves in property.

(This is also true of many Labour MPs, MSs etc. of course...)

(Edit and many other parties, I'd guess. Cons, Lab and Plaid all have about 5-6 landlords in the Senedd although the % of seats varies obvs.)

[jamiefairlie]

I think it's wider than that. It's about control, it's easier to demoralize and disempower the masses when you treat them like lab rats in little cubicles and surround them with petty ritualistic rules. They need to feel that power first hand, in person.

If commercial property was to decrease the same people would just switch to residential, it wouldn't have much overall impact on house prices/rents.

[JamesTC]

If you work from home, you are literally a terrorist.

[derek stitt]

Democratic accountability is old hat, the winner of the next election will decided by Paul Hollywood and Mel but not Sue. I wish this was satire.

[dissolute ocelot]

Also lots of people read newspapers on the train.

Or take them into work to read into the canteen so they don't have to talk to their colleagues.