If I needed reminding about the fragile state of the economy, I saw it yesterday while out with our survey team in Brownsover. In one road there is Estate Agent’s board after Estate Agent’s board with the market jammed by a lack of mortgage finance. As a consequence, many people’s lives are on hold unable to move to the larger house a growing family needs or to take up a new job offer. Added to this, as I remember from the early 90’s, there is a growing anger about negative equity, the inevitable consequence of falling house prices. And things will get worse before they get better.