Alter welcomes the report https://institute.global/insight/renewing-centre/home-truths-progressive-vision-housing-policy-21st-century published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

The executive summary is reproduced below:

A housing crisis is sweeping through cities from Sydney to London to San Francisco. Following a short slump in 2008, house prices across the OECD have soared, contributing to a decline in living standards and a rise in wealth inequality. Today, housing is the source of economic anxiety, social resentment, and political frustration.

Former Liberal MP for Leeds and ALTER member Michael Meadowcroft has written a letter about land hoarding in the Sunday Times.

Meanwhile well known LVT activist Duncan Pickard has featured on Radio 4 Money Box. Follow the link to listen.

Reception for launch of All Party Parliamentary Group on Land Value Capture

Monday, December 4, 2017 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Houses of Parliament, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, 1 Parliament St, Westminster, London

SW1A 2JR

(Please allow circa 30 minutes to clear security at Portcullis House)

The Coalition for Economic Justice is organising this event. It will be Chaired by Sir Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats

Home owners collect £50Bn economic rent annually by not having to pay taxes on land uplift. ALTER Secretary David Cooper's article on Libdem Voice shows that this has the same impact on our economy as a currency forging ring with a £50bn turnnover.

ALTER's fringe meeting attracted a good audience for speakers Rachel Collinson, Green Party spokesperson on Energy, Business & Industrial Strategy (left), our vice chair Dr Tony Vickers, Chairman Joseph Bouke (standing) Heather Wetzel of the Labour Land Campaign, and David Ford of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.

Calls from ALTER for taxation of property owners who are registered for tax outside the UK have resonated with our leader who called for "Fierce tax on overseas residents buying British property". Sir Vince Cable vistited the ALTER stand during the Bournmouth conference, here pictured with Chairman Joe Bourke and Secretary David Cooper.

If after 30 minutes you're not moved by this, check you still have a pulse

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Henry George (September 2, 1839 - October 29, 1897) was an American political economist and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in the 19th century, and sparked several reform movements of the Progressive Era. His writings also inspired the economic philosophy known as Georgism, based on the belief that people should own the value they produce themselves, but that the economic value derived from land should belong equally to all members of society.

ALTER is supportive of universal income, but recognizes the danger that any such money would be captured by increased rents. Universal Income cannot work without a mechanism to recapture the economic rent from land owership. A new spin on this idea, "Basic Rental Income", is described in a recent Libdem Voice article by our chairman Joe Bourke.

Dr Tony Vickers reviews a new book by Josh Ryan-Collns, Toby Lloyd and Laurie Macfarlane, "Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing" . This is an indictment of wastful austerity policies amd throws a spotlight on the Conservative strategy of socialism for the rich, ruthess capitalism for the poor. Vickers summarizes his review with the strong recommendation "This book is not by Liberal Democrats but it ought to be read by every Lib Dem campaigner." It highlights how in the last quarter century, the share of total bank lending to real estate has almost doubled to nearly 50% while the share lending to companies that create real new wealth has shrunk to a mere 15%. The post-crash quantitative easing by the Bank of England exacerbated this: six pounds out of every seven has gone into reflating the property bubble via bank lending.

Joe Bourke, Chairman of ALTER, has called for an all party group on Land Taxation in a recent Libdemvoice article. Could this by the answer to the Maybot's prayer for constructive policy suggestions from other political parties? There is some support for LVT within the Conservatives. After all Nick Boles (former conservative minister for planning) has suggested such a tax, and Tim Montgomorie, of Conservative Home fame, has also expressed support. However tt is hard to imagine such a policty appealing to Teresa May, the epitome of conservative (with a small "c") mediocrity.