I got maried in 70s with 15% interest rates etc etc , MIRAS was ahelp but before MIRAS i think all mortage interest was tax free?
The thing is as L P Hartley wrote,' the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there' and 2020s Britain is another plannet from 1975 when it comes to what peopels expectations are about basics and luxuries. In 1975 there were no TV shows about Briatins most expensive houses, no idiotic realitiy TV , no glorifying peopel who get on TV for beign stupid. Its alive for today world too and I ahve nothign buyt sympathy for many ordinary people-ie 75% of the population . Its no good harping back to how we scrimped and saved and did this or that - ref Monty Pythons reminscing northerners sketch and thatwas broadcast in the 70s.
I am not a miliaristic person and do not think we need a large military -but while we have a moderate sized one it should not be at the expense of those who serve and live a very different life to civilians in UK. The articles on here about military housing are shocking , Half the QE2 Funeral and C3R coronation costs should have gone to serving families housing and support not thrown away for few days glamour. Miliary personnel and families do make sacrifices in terms of seperation, unsocial hours, non optional moves around the country and we should as a nation ensure they have at least a decent standard of living .