Virtual reality

For politicians and journalists the scary accuracy of BBC comedy The Thick of It’s portrayal of life in the Whitehall bubble must - or at least should - keep them awake at night.

The government cut the school meal budget just after an episode in which the opposition proposed the exact same thing, while Vince Cable’s call for a business bank is eerily reminiscent of the fictional coalition partners’ ‘We Bank’ idea.

The housing sector will hope one other plotline won’t be repeated in the real world after the new DOSAC minister came close to resigning over the suicide of a tent-bound protester. And what was the late Mr Tickell protesting about? Eviction from a council house. Ministers be warned.

Worries about the potential of their kids raiding their pension funds were at the forefront of Liberal Democrat members’ minds at their party’s conference in Brighton this week.

In light of their leader Nick Clegg’s announcement of plans to make the bank of mum and dad extend to pension-backed mortgages, parents of twenty-somethings packed a Gentoo-sponsored fringe session on homeownership.

Debate about the housing policy fell by the wayside as audience members clamoured to find out about the nuts and bolts of home purchase plans, which mean wannabe homebuyers don’t need to raise a deposit.

The coalition better hope this works or the next logical step is the bank of great grandmother and great grandfather. By 2030 Closed Circuit fears we might be turning to seances.

Jack Dromey was on blistering form at the National Housing Federation conference last week as he laid into the coalition government attempts to water down planning rules that force developers to build affordable homes.

It would appear, however, that Mr Dromey needs a ‘who’s who’ of parliament.

The shadow housing minister said the government came close to bringing in a three-year section 106 holiday but was stopped by the ‘excellent leadership of the NHF on one hand and people like Richard Best on the other in the Liberal Democrats’.

Mr Dromey will no doubt be struck off the fiercely independent crossbencher Lord Best’s Christmas card list.

Send your juicy housing gossip to closedcircuit@insidehousing.co.uk