What London wants from the Spending Review as speculation grows Chancellor set to snub capital
Ian McDermott, Chief Executive of Peabody and Chair of G15, said: "New housing starts in London have already fallen off a cliff and it looks like we could be heading towards the lowest housing delivery numbers since the Second World War. New funding and significant policy change is needed to prevent what would be a catastrophic collapse in the supply of new social and affordable homes by the end of this parliament."
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Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Chamberlain hoped to ‘avoid worst' as Second World War loomed
Neville Chamberlain wrote 'I still hope we may avoid the worst' six days before the start of the Second World War, a letter has revealed. The former prime minister is infamous for his failed appeasement policy, which saw him offer Adolf Hitler numerous concessions to try to avoid war. Now a newly discovered letter suggests he clung on to the hope his strategy would pay off up until the moment Germany invaded Poland on Sept 1 1939. Writing to Captain William Brass, the Conservative MP, on Aug 26 1939, he said: 'I still hope we may avoid the worst, but if it comes we are thank God prepared for it.' Chamberlain's confidence in Britain's readiness for war would prove to be misplaced as within nine months the Nazis had captured swathes of Europe. More than 330,000 British Expeditionary Force troops had to be hastily evacuated at Dunkirk between May 26 and June 4 1940, to enable Britain to 'fight another day'. The day before Chamberlain 's hopeful note, however, Britain had signed the Anglo-Polish military alliance, promising to support Poland if its independence was threatened. Hitler had originally scheduled his invasion of Poland for Aug 26, but when news of the Anglo-Polish pact reached Berlin, he temporarily postponed the attack by six days. Chamberlain's policy of appeasement saw Britain make no response to Hitler's annexation of Austria in March 1938, a move Winston Churchill warned at the time was a mistake. During a speech in the House of Commons, Churchill said: 'The gravity of the annexation of Austria cannot be exaggerated.' 'Total and unmitigated defeat' Hitler quickly moved on to trying to control the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, and by Sept 1928 Chamberlain had flown to Hitler's holiday home to negotiate in person, to no avail. Chamberlain said at the time: 'How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing.' The Munich agreement saw Chamberlain sign over the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to Germany from Oct 1 1938, in exchange for Hitler giving up on plans for further expansion across Europe. Churchill called it a 'total and unmitigated defeat' and it failed to stop Nazi Germany annexing more Czech land, including Prague, and launching an invasion of Poland – which finally sparked war. Chamberlain lost the confidence of Parliament and resigned as prime minister in May 1940, when Churchill stepped up to lead the nation. The one-page letter, on 10 Downing Street letterhead and dated Aug 26 1939, has emerged for sale at RR Auction in Boston, US. It is tipped to fetch $20,000 (£15,000) because of its historical significance. An RR Auction spokesman said: 'Behind the scenes, British diplomats were still scrambling to avert war. Chamberlain hoped that deterrence, through strong alliances and military mobilisation, might still dissuade Hitler. 'At the same time, Britain was accelerating preparations – air raid precautions were being implemented across cities, reservists were being called up, and public morale was being steeled for the possibility of conflict. 'Thus Britain found itself in a state of grim resolve: committed to defending Poland, preparing for war, yet still clinging to fragile hopes that Hitler might yet be deterred. 'Within a week, however, those hopes would be extinguished as Germany launched its invasion of Poland on September 1.' The sale takes place on Wednesday.
Evening Standard
4 hours ago
- Evening Standard
What London wants from the Spending Review as speculation grows Chancellor set to snub capital
Ian McDermott, Chief Executive of Peabody and Chair of G15, said: "New housing starts in London have already fallen off a cliff and it looks like we could be heading towards the lowest housing delivery numbers since the Second World War. New funding and significant policy change is needed to prevent what would be a catastrophic collapse in the supply of new social and affordable homes by the end of this parliament."
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Neville Chamberlain's naive words of optimism six days before WWII began - revealed in unseen letter
A candid letter by Neville Chamberlain saying 'I still hope we may avoid the worst' six days before the start of the Second World War has emerged. The beleaguered British prime minister pursued an appeasement policy with Nazi Germany in a bid to prevent an escalation into a global conflict. After signing the derided Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler in September 1938, he infamously declared that it was 'peace in our time'. Now a newly discovered letter shows how he clung on to the hope that his strategy would pay off right up until Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Writing to Conservative MP Captain William Brass on August 26, 1939, he stated: 'I still hope we may avoid the worst, but if it comes we are thank God prepared for it.' However, within nine months the Nazis had captured large swathes of Europe. More than 330,000 British Expeditionary Force troops were hastily evacuated at Dunkirk to enable Britain to 'fight another day'. Chamberlain lost the confidence of Parliament and resigned as Prime Minister in May 1940, with Winston Churchill stepping up to lead the nation. The one-page letter, on 10 Downing Street letterhead and dated August 26, 1939, has emerged for sale at RR Auction, of Boston, US. It is tipped to fetch £15,000 ($20,000) due to its historical significance. An RR Auction spokesperson said: 'On August 26, 1939, Great Britain stood on the precipice of war, with tensions between Germany and Poland escalating to a breaking point. 'For months, Europe had watched Adolf Hitler's aggressive expansion with growing alarm. 'Britain, having learned hard lessons from appeasement, had made a guarantee to come to Poland's aid if its independence was threatened, solidified in the Anglo-Polish military alliance signed one day earlier on August 25. 'Hitler had originally scheduled his invasion of Poland for August 26, but when news of the Anglo-Polish pact reached Berlin, he temporarily postponed the attack. 'Behind the scenes, British diplomats were still scrambling to avert war. 'Chamberlain hoped that deterrence, through strong alliances and military mobilisation, might still dissuade Hitler. 'At the same time, Britain was accelerating preparations - air raid precautions were being implemented across cities, reservists were being called up, and public morale was being steeled for the possibility of conflict. 'Thus Britain found itself in a state of grim resolve: committed to defending Poland, preparing for war, yet still clinging to fragile hopes that Hitler might yet be deterred. 'Within a week, however, those hopes would be extinguished as Germany launched its invasion of Poland on September 1.'
