Analysis: Is Michael Gove going to war with landlords? March 28, 2023 Michael Gove has accused “unscrupulous” landlords of using no-fault evictions to jack up rents.
Explainer: Keir Starmer picks housing as his trump card May 17, 2023 Today Keir Starmer was on a mission to steal the spotlight from Michael Gove’s new laws on renters’ rights. As the Levelling Up Secretary was bringing his much-delayed Bill to Parliament, the leader of the Opposition was on a broadcast marathon to outline his plan for housing. “We’re gonna back the builders, not the blockers”, [...]
Yet another housing minister? It’ll alienate young professionals November 14, 2023 The political churn of ministers is doing nothing to solve the housing crisis, and it's the young who are suffering, writes Henry Hill.
‘Levelling up’ under fire for failing to help jobseekers February 21, 2022 Michael Gove’s levelling up strategy has come under fire for failing to support “the most vulnerable in society”. It comes after the Independent reported a two-year wait for government cash to help people into work after it was announced that replacement job schemes would only be funded “from 2024-25”. The paper reported last year that [...]
Property passports: Calls for compliance tracking rise to combat cowboy landlords May 25, 2022 Two property associations have urged for better tracking of safety regulations today, in a bid to clampdown on cowboy landlords and unsafe housing. The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC) has called for Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN) to be embedded within the upcoming Renter’s Reform Bill, so that property safety records can be grouped within a portal [...]
As Gove returns to the toxic housing seesaw, inflation will become his worst enemy October 27, 2022 After Monday’s reshuffle, and the new prime minister’s promise to fix the mistakes of his predecessor, can we expect some much needed stability in politics? Perhaps that’s wishful thinking, given the psychodrama that has rocked the Conservative party for the past year. But for those who are looking for some measure of consistency, there might [...]
Britain needs more safe and energy efficient homes, but targets miss the point December 1, 2022 Last week, we saw Conservative party backbenchers oppose Michael Gove’s target to deliver 300,000 homes a year in England. The scale of the rebellion meant the vote on planning reforms, enshrined in the levelling up bill, was pulled. The government’s levelling up strategy has the potential to make a positive difference, but its focus on [...]
Lib Dems call for Biden-style tax on share buybacks at spring conference March 16, 2024 Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Neither the Conservative government or Labour Party have explained how they will fund public services fairly after the next election.
We don’t need more puppet devolution with Whitehall still holding the purse strings December 13, 2022 There is no doubt in my mind that devolution is the right way forward for local politics and for the UK as a whole. As a former Mayor and local politician, I know that if you want to make a difference to your local community, and if you want to improve the place where you [...]
Street votes will worsen our already archaic planning system instead of cutting red tape June 9, 2022 A central pillar of the government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which had its second reading yesterday, is Michael Gove’s plan to provide neighbours with the agency to prevent planning applications. This may, on the surface, seem like a good idea, and it will probably win his party some votes – but it is a [...]