From Saturday you will be required to stay outside, on the streets where our death squads will be able to find you easier. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19433404 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19433404)
Very little surprising about this for me.
UK government has a bit of a habit of making laws focused on the wrong issue. This looks like a typical example.
Problem:UK housing is a clusterfuck.
Reasons: Gross overvaluation in the housing market
Buy to let sold for decades as the retirement fund of choice
Media hyperfocused on rising or falling house prices as an indication of everyones (even non-homeowners) wealth
There's some other economic stuff around the world as well.
Hundreds of thousands of homes sat empty
Huge overemphasis on small starter flats when what is mainly needed are larger family homes
Wild speculative building in various towns and cities leading to entire blocks being fairly empty
Solution : Criminalise Squatting.
The charming part seems to be the total lack of distinction between squatting in an vacant premises and an occupied one. There's going to be some excellent fallout from this over the next few months.
Most of the activisty types I knew in the early 2000's were mostly squatters. it's a fucking shame for the abandoned houses because most of the squatters I knew actually kept the places from falling down out of neglect..