Comment Re:How does the maths work? (Score 5, Insightful) 149
I assume London, where modern capitalism was mostly invented, is the same as the USA in that your land owners are heavily invested in expensive downtown office spaces that aren't actually necessary. It's not win-win for them, and whatever banks they owe money to.
This conflict of interest is a huge problem.
In the US, we also have a problem where each state tries to operate as its own very ineffectual and poorly run country, and gives tax breaks to corporations that choose to open offices within it. They give the corporation tax breaks, assuming the corporations attract workers to the area, who will be paying property/sales and (in most cases) state income taxes. This arrangement is why states like Texas and Arizona can attract any people at all. Having workers work remotely undermines this income model, especially wherein the workers who can be remote, tend to be high income earners. I don't know that the UK as a whole has this particular dilemma, but it's built in to US politics.