Blogs

So the question about what happens when we get to the end of HelpToBuy has been answered - the Government is going to continue with it.

Blimey. I take a few days off to take the kids to the beach and the Government's energy efficiency policy goes to hell in a handcart.

Hands up who had 24 hours?

Greg Barker, ex-MP for Bexhill & Battle, former Government Minister and the man charged with delivering the Coalition's Government's Green Deal programme know who he is blaming for the programme's relative failure.

Figures released today show that 'winter deaths' in the year 2014-2015 were the highest since 1999. 43,000 'extra' winter deaths is the chilling (sorry) headline.

Excuse my French but, oh bloody hell.

The Budget is due next week and no doubt continued austerity will still be the name of the game. It has already been a tough few years for the building industry and we would, along with the rest of the country, welcome some more positive news.

The British weather (why is it that other countries have 'climate' but we have 'weather'?) continues to baffle. In the last few weeks we have gone from 'scorchio', through sleet and hail, to the wettest drought on record. It must be causing headaches for most builders and it is certainly not helping the builders' merchant…

Despite spring having officially sprung, summer seems a long way off and there is still time to consider what should be in stock when (hopefully, not 'if') it finally happens.

June 2012: the industry is still bumping along the bottom, but everybody feels it's high time we got together, merchants and suppliers, and talked with one another about what the recovery's looking like and what happens next. June 2012 is your long-awaited date, ladies and gentlemen, for the next Merchant Industry National Conference.