To feel there is no future for children unless they

[Honeyyourfamilar]

unless they start a business or are super academic or excel in their careers.

I grew up in a working class neighbourhood in London (zone 6 so maybe not London London) and so many of the parents were normal working class people who owned their own homes: postman, bus drivers, dinner ladies, mechanics. There was a couple who both worked in supermarkets and they owned their own home. In a few families only the bloke worked and that was enough to sustain the family - I am maybe showing my age.

These were people in their early 30s who were financially secure. Now those houses are worth £500k plus and there is no way someone working a low paid job could afford that.

Two people making £30k a year will get £240k mortgage, where is the other amount going to come from?

I think that young people don't have a future here anyone.

The only way someone who isn't earning a decent wage can afford to buy a house is if they get an inheritance or if their parents sell their £500k house, that they purchased for £30k, and downsize, and give a deposit to their kids.

The amount of families renting and dependent on housing benefit is just a disgrace. It also means people stay in horrible relationships because they cannot afford to leave.

This country is a ***.

Well that depends on what era you’re taking about. The Victorian era yes. The post WW2 war era no.

Also 1 in 3 children in England live in poverty today.

No it's not news to southerners, don't tar us all with the same brush.

Problem with 'move north ' is what if you want to stay near family? All my family, and possibly the OPs family, are in London area, except one sibling who is in a other country. From my perspective it would be possible jobswise and preferable housewise to move north, but we'd be moving away from elderly parents, siblings, cousins etc.

And for my kids - of course they'll move wherever they want/where they can make a life. I don't worry so much about the fact they might need to leave London to do that, but more about I how I can help them not face the same bleak future I feel I face in terms of retirement. Agree that learning a trade or starting a business would be the best way to be secure.

YABU - purely because there will soon be a huge demand for trade workers when the current ones retire. A short college course and apprenticeship and trade workers can make a fortune. I think there’s way too much pressure to go into HE when there’s so many more options.

I know you're joking but christ your post reminds me of an old poster called choicemummy who genuinely believed people in the north were lazy and chose not to properly educate their kids.

The ignorance is real with some London posters!

I would like to see restrictions on non Dom’s buying property, restrictions on companies owning residential property (because that will be the loophole otherwise) and rent control in our cities. Rent control will make buy to let less attractive and so reduce house prices.

Oh no. Everyone outside London is unemployed 🙄

Agreed - nobody should own 10 properties to rent out as AirBnBs

unless they start a business or are super academic or excel in their careers.

it's whether they can have help onto the property ladder or not

Love it 😂

I have no sympathy when people write off the North as “grim”. I’m in Yorkshire, it’s stunning where I am gorgeous homes and theatres, restaurants, loads of things to do. Last time I went to London I felt sorry for Londoners as everywhere was so completely filthy and run down

one thing that disadvantages us it how London centric employment is. Other countries tend to have less concentration in one city.

If something doesn’t change, all that will matter in the future is how much you inherit. How hard you work will be irrelevant. I don’t think that’s good for society, or the individuals concerned, who would be princelings or paupers

That's all ready happening.

Note this is not income tax. I think workers are already taxed enough, probably too much, whilst wealth is not taxed at the same level

yes

There's also less social housing

It's not news at all. But be people hate it when londoners start turning up on mass to a place and pushing up house prices for the locals.

In the sunlit uplands of the past many, many people rented substandard accommodation from private landlords.
"Secure" can mean renting a good flat. It doesn't have to mean "owning a detached house".

Many such couples lived in council houses which they managed to buy later. Many didn't start owning 3 bedroom houses but started with flats and could only afford a house after their second or third purchase.

It's much harder to climb the ladder now as FTBs are older, less time to build equity & harder to build equity plus the cost of moving house.

I think rather than tell everyone to come to the North, things should be cheaper in the South and more investment in the North. The North’s poorer outcomes are a direct result of unequal funding in services. It’s not rocket science but it seems to allude our illustrious leaders

Wages are shit here too. I would recommend that young people look to other countries for opportunity. Many will want skilled young people due to ageing populations.

No help from parents aside from being able to live at home until we could save a small deposit 10-15k.

But this is major help. Many people can't live at home to save up...

@Peacepleaselouise Your policies would increase rents by a huge amount. If you make it too difficult for landlords, as your policies would, they get rid of homes for rent. It puts up prices if the market shrinks. That would not matter if the state had plentiful housing, but it doesn’t. At the moment we need private landlords.

We also need rich people. They are not going to stay if the tax regime is too fierce. In fact they are leaving. They employ people and spend money. We are better off having them here. The politics and taxation based on envy rarely work.

People are moving north & to other places hence why house prices are increasing eg Manchester.

I work in finance and pretty much all my uk team live in areas like Kent/buy places there. I'm in greater London but have owned for years. No one can afford London now.

You can be successful in more practical jobs too, mechanics you cite but I know two 20 something mechanics who have bought houses, they apprenticed at 16 and have very successful own businesses now, one is mobile, solo, the other has 2 employees himself.

plumbers, electricians etc can all be very successful and earn far more than most office based jobs but you need to be good at your job including customer service.

Both my dd and my dsd are buying in their 20’s but not in London. It’s not cheap here either but they are buying with dp’s, dsd has inherited a bit but her dp has saved up his half the deposit. My dd has had no financial help, saving up every penny. 2 bed houses are around £300-350k here. My DD is stretching to £450k as she earns more as does her dp