On the morning of Friday 7th May, avoiding much of the hype and most of the coverage of the General Election result, I caught a flight to Vienna for a long weekend.
Amid the charms of this eminently walkable city, the clamour surrounding the main political parties here in the UK faded entirely from view.
Indeed, the outcome of the UK’s election was an also-ran item in many of the news broadcasts: something far more important was going on in the meeting of EC Finance Ministers, sorting out the debt crisis in …

Labour won 420 new seats and took overall control of 16 councils in the local elections that took place alongside last Thursday’s general election.
The results, where counting finished over the weekend, reveal a large swing in favour of Labour councillors, with most losses sustained by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, which lost 123 and 144 seats respectively.
Liverpool (town hall pictured), Oxford, and Coventry are all now under Labour control.
It is thought that the higher turnout in the general election has brought about the swing towards Labour. This is because …

Labour and the Conservatives have “misled” voters on efficiency savings, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has  said today.
Both parties are promising cuts to IT, human resources, and property that can not realistically be delivered, according to an IfS election briefing note, called Filling The Hole, which was published this morning.
Labour says it can make savings of £11bn a year by 2013-14, while the Tories say they can find £6bn in this financial year through making services more efficient.
The think-tank’s report argues these plans would fail to contribute to cutting the …

In the first quarter of 2010, local authorities sold 148 properties at auctions in England, Scotland and Wales, raising just £26m
This is a big decline from the same period in 2007, when 243 properties were sold for £112.9m (see graph, left).
However, experts expect councils to sell more properties after the election, as public sector bodies seek quick sell-offs.
Simon Parker, head of commercial auctions at Savills, says auctions are well suited for councils looking to sell properties worth less than £2m because “it’s open, competitive, there is lots of marketing done …

Labour and the Conservatives will go head-to-head on property in a live televised debate just days before the General Election and hosted on Public Property UK.
Labour’s housing and planning minister John Healey and Conservative shadow local government and planning minister Bob Neill will be grilled by Public Property UK’s audience as well as debate chairman, Property Week editor Giles Barrie, on 27 April.
Quiz the ministers yourself on anything from regeneration and planning to housing and the wider economy by submitting your questions to .
Click here to register for the …

The Liberal Democrats have today pledged support for the Conservatives’ proposed overhaul to the planning system.
The Lib Dems want to introduce third-party right of appeal where applications contradict local plans and axe quangos including the Infrastructure Planning Commission, according to its 109-page election manifesto, which was published today. These back up policies set out in the Tory manifesto on Tuesday.
The Lib Dem document, simply called “Manifesto 2010″, also pledges to end ‘garden grabbing’ and backs Competition Commission calls for a local competition test for all planning applications for new retail …

What it is: The Conservative Party manifesto for the 2010 general election.
It calls itself an Invitation to Join the Government of Britain, as the Tories try to convince the public that they can give all British citizens more power over government.
When it came out: 13 April 2010
Why it is important: It confirms Tory pledges ot devolve powers over planning to local communities, as well as promising to upstage Labour’s pledges on making public property savings.
To read the manifesto in full, click here: Conservatives Manifesto 2010

The Conservative Party wants to outdo Labour on public sector property savings, its election manifesto has revealed today.
The Tory election manifesto 2010, which was launched by leader David Cameron (pictured) at Battersea Power Station this morning, says the Conservatives plan reductions in property costs “over and above any savings already planned by Labour”.
The Conservatives have pledged to follow recommendations made by advisers Sir Peter Gershon and Martin Read that show how the party might save £12bn on departmental spending in this financial year. Read said the government could move …

The Labour Party has today singled out regeneration as an area where it could make savings after the election.
Today, Labour published its manifesto ahead of the general election on 6 May, which outlined ways it could find efficiencies to help cut the £167bn budget deficit forecast.
It said that if re-elected, the party would “make savings in regeneration
funding” and sharpen its focus on improving the areas most disconnected from the wider economy.
Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said this would put pressure on housing provision.
“The crucial financial facts …

What it is: The Labour Party manifesto for the 2010 general election, as it tries to convince the public that it deserves a fourth Parliamentary term.
When it came out: 12 April 2010
Why it is important: It sets out Labour pledges for areas including planning and property, although many of its property policies were set out at last month’s Budget.
To read the manifesto click here: Labour Party election manifesto