Funding the Future Why politicians won’t fix affordability
Jan 7, 2026
Affordability is a hot-button issue, yet solutions remain elusive. Politicians often blame inflation, but deeper problems like structural income extraction are at play. Rising rents, mortgage interest, and fees are draining household incomes permanently. The crisis is exacerbated by weak regulation and a political system favoring capital. Financialization and limited competition keep prices high, while consumers lack the power to push back. Unlike temporary price spikes, these issues reflect deliberate policy choices that demand urgent attention.
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Inflation Isn't The Real Affordability Problem
- Affordability is framed as inflation but rising prices alone don't explain ongoing hardship.
- Richard Murphy says permanent income extraction, not temporary inflation, drives the crisis.
Permanent Income Extraction Explained
- The crisis is driven by structural extraction of household income via unavoidable costs.
- Murphy lists rent, mortgage interest, utilities, fees and add-ons as permanent drains on income.
From One-Off Purchases To Endless Subscriptions
- Richard Murphy contrasts how software and TV used to be bought once but are now rented via subscriptions.
- He uses this change to illustrate deliberate business-model shifts that extract more from consumers.