May government wields a partial big stick over housing

Peter Black, who knows more about these things than I do, has not commented on Sajid Javid's threatened diktat over house-building, so I shall tentatively venture an opinion. This government's record on aid to home ownership shows a partiality to the larger conservative constituency. It has done nothing to ease the borrowing shackles which prevent councils building homes directly. All that Javid's proposed measure will achieve is to put pressure on green belts and green wedges, where private builders foresee the greatest profits. Ironically, there have already been warning voices that most of the councils affected are Conservative-controlled.

Fortunately, we do these things differently in Wales.