The property inequality in the UK reminds me of the visit I made in the mid 1980’s to Monaco. As we observed the amazing boats in the harbour, many of which were empty at the time, the high rise towers at the back of the city stood out in stark contrast as places of deprivation. In between were the even more opulent mansions and homes of the very rich and some famous people. The tower blocks reminded me of the homes of friends in Liverpool that I was familiar with. The people needed to service the Casinos and clean the boats needed somewhere to live. Few people I know would ever want to live in a Russian type Communist state, but few would be able to tolerate the inequality I observed in Monaco. Yet the obscenity of sick and mourning people being forced to sleep on the floor of a leisure centre a short bus ride away from some of the wealthiest, empty properties in the World cannot continue. The scenes outside the Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall may not be repeated as the social services system begins to address the needs of these very vulnerable people. However if this is not a tipping point, the risk is that inequalities will continue to grow and then at the next point of crisis or the one after that something will have to give. We need to see leadership emerge at both a National and City level so that the disparity between local residents whose lives have become intolerable and the absent property investors begins to diminish. Indeed I would choose to see an end to absentee investors in places where property is in short supply and where investors wealth is being used to push up property prices as though it was simply yet another index on the stock market. The real risk is that if we pass the tipping point it may take decades to restore order and address the chaos that will hurt many more people than are hurting at the moment.