Another day, another reckless throw of the dice (29)

I've saved up a few, actually:

FT Adviser, 8 October 2009: "Birmingham City Council is considering a scheme to assist residents with deposits to help them obtain mortgages from high street lenders." Via RR and HPC.

Evening Standard, 2 October 2009: "Millions of Londoners will get a council tax freeze next year after Labour unveiled a last-ditch move to avoid wipeout in the capital. The Standard can reveal that all eight Labour-run town halls across the city will not raise the tax."

David Cameron's Blueprint for Britain, 1 October 2009: "Point 1. We will work with councils to freeze council tax for two years - saving more than £200 for the typical family."

NB; George Osborne's Conference Speech, 29 September 2008: "A Conservative government would freeze council tax for two years, George Osborne pledged today, in a surprise move unveiled to cheers at the party's conference."

Sunderland City Council, 23 July 2009: "PLANS to re-introduce mortgages funded through Sunderland City Council are being discussed next week. The mortgages could be offered from October helping support people denied loans by mainstream lenders and targeted towards housing schemes in the city." Via JackC at HPC.

Last but not least...

Scottish Government 17 June 2009: "The law will be changed to offer stronger safeguards to people unable to meet mortgage repayments, MSPs were told today... And legal obligations will be imposed on lenders to show that they have considered every reasonable alternative to repossession...

Other measures put in place to help those facing financial difficulties include:

Increased funding for the Home Owners Support Fund to £35 million to help those who cannot access support anywhere else to stay in their homes through the Mortgage to Rent and Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes;

Increased funding for debt advice services, with an additional one million pounds to Citizens Advice for its face to face debt advice services;

£3 million for additional in court and other advice services and, from April, extended legal aid to a million more Scots;

£400,000 to raise awareness of help on offer through the National Debtline;

An additional £175,000 to expand Shelter's helpline and law advice centres.