House prices quadrupled whilst earnings only doubled.

Developers will say that it is because of planning laws.

Economists will tell you that land prices are more likely responsible (seeing as they have increased at an almost identical rate to house prices).

It's very easy to scapegoat a small minority to present an easy solution to a complex problem. But it's also very easy to debunk the nonsense.

Housing affordability has worsened for decades. The slight reduction since the pandemic still sees house prices over 7x higher than earnings.

Actually double-checked to make sure this wasn't a deepfake.

Conservatives on Solihull Council passed a cutting budget that repeatedly said:

"To be assessed as part of detailed FTA(s) for specific budget proposals as required."

You need to check BEFORE you cut.

A couple of Green Party events thrown into the mix and some very involved things at the Council.

More to follow on those soon 💚

If you want to get involved join.greenparty.org.uk

Christmas light switch on in Shirley. Santa had to flick the switch a few times to get all the lights on, but they were on eventually.

So many good people giving their time to the community.

Thank you especially to Friends of Shirley Park who gave time, equipment and presents to make it happen.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi gave a talk at the Muath Trust in Birmingham.

Huge respect for Sayeeda. We can disagree on politics, but it’s essential we respect the people involved in the discussion.

Sayeeda is an honest broker, shining a light on the discrimination British Muslims are experiencing.

Before and after: neighbour dispute on a site in my ward. Parking is an issue there and some vehicles need removing. They were covered by overgrown vegetation so we got cleaning/clearing to help make progress.