The Guardian : May 5, 2006

Electoral participation

Both Polly Toynbee (Labour MPs at last seem to be ready to ditch Tony Blair, May 2) and Marcel Berlins believe in forcing people to turn out to vote. But as an increasing number of ordinary people cannot afford a place to live, why should they participate in British elections that are dominated by a majority of owner-occupiers that have to be bought off by continual house-price inflation?

The political parties are lucky that the under-40s are not rioting in the street, not just supporting economic doomsday cults, such as HousePriceCrash.co.uk, which look forward to the end of the world of expensive property like religious fundamentalists awaiting the Rapture.

DBC Reed
Labour Land Campaign