Local Jobs for Local People

I see CLG announced new projects shortlisted for Kick Start funding yesterday.

When I last wrote about housing, I commented on my concerns about the move towards 'local homes for local people' as an allocation criteria for social housing. Interestingly, I noticed in the latest announcement for Kickstart that it will be a condition "of getting this Government money that all builders offer recruitment of local people".

So, in the housing market, we are moving towards a policy of local jobs for local people on the supply side and local homes for local people on the demand side? Most international economists argue that this kind of tit-for-tat behaviour at the national level makes everybody worse off, so how odd to see a national government encouraging it at the local level.