Howard. Actually it's not. Marx envisaged a world where everyone was equal, and equally rewarded, and where everyone gave of their gifts and talents for the benefit and betterment of all. A tad utopian perhaps, and there are some terrible examples where people have tried to impose Marx's ideals - and failed. Even so, wouldn't it be grand if we could but travel at least some of the road towards that perfect society?

Incentivisation? You know what? I think I agree. The thing which absolutely tore me apart when I started this thread, was reading about the couple whose daughter had died of cancer, who'd kept her bedroom as a shrine (something which I suspect lots of people do), and were now forced to abandon their home by political ruthlessness and bureaucratic insensitivity. Plus there's lots of other reasons why people need a spare room. Kids away at college for example, or fighting in the armed forces.

So I have no problem at all with people being encouraged to downsize where practical. But you know, and I know that this isn't about freeing up housing stock. It's about the government saving money.