Homebuilders and contractors condemn Gove’s U-turn on scrapping leasehold May 11, 2023 Homebuilders and contractors have come out against Michael Gove’s decision to U-turn on scrapping leasehold. Despite previously promising to abolish what he defined as a “feudal” system of property ownership, the plans have now been dropped by the levelling up secretary. Through leasehold, people buy the right to live in their flat, but not the [...]
Explainer: TransPennine Express joins the club of nationalised railway services May 11, 2023 And just like this, another railway service gets nationalised. Say goodbye to TransPennine Express, which is now going to be run by the state. TransPennine had been long criticised by customers, who complained of cancellations and delays making commuting a nightmare. Now trains in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh will be managed through the Operator [...]
Major legislation on renters’ rights due this week delayed again May 10, 2023 A package of reforms on renters’ rights that was due to be published this week has been delayed again, according to reports. Levelling up secretary Michael Gove previously promised that the Renters Reform Bill, which has been in the works for four years, would finally be tabled in parliament this week, but reports from both [...]
Even if you do buy a home, the pestilence of service charges could make it unaffordable May 10, 2023 Tenants and leaseholders have been paying thousands of pounds of overcharge for the services provided by their housing associations because of a lack of oversight and accountability, writes Elena Siniscalco
Explainer: Will Michael Gove protect the Victorian outlook of Liverpool Street station? May 9, 2023 What do Stephen Fry – the actor and broadcaster – and Tracey Emin – the artist – have in common? A battle with Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, apparently. Both have called on Gove to stop the £1.5bn development project that would change the Victorian face of Liverpool Street station forever. The terminal of the [...]
Are housing targets good or bad? May 4, 2023 As a new WhatsApp controversy within the Tory party puts housebuilding targets in the limelight, Elena Siniscalco asks whether central targets are a good or bad housing policy
Explainer: New voter ID policy gets its first mass test in today’s local elections May 4, 2023 After weeks of campaigning, cautious statements from our political leaders and even more cautious statements from pollsters, today is the day. It’s local election time. There are many considerations to be made about what the results will – or won’t – tell us about the next general election. But what makes these local elections unique [...]
Explainer: Rishi Sunak’s fight against the fraudsters robbing Britain May 3, 2023 Fraud is now the most common crime in Britain. Whether it’s done via call, text or online, it constitutes 41 per cent of all offences committed. We used to think fraud was a danger purely for older and vulnerable people, until we all started falling for it. Criminals have become so skilled at impersonating banks, [...]
A kernel of grain is driving a wedge through Europe’s response to Ukraine May 3, 2023 Poland and other EU member states have imposed a ban on grain from Ukraine. This risks leaving Ukrainian farmers in misery - and shows the cracks in the Western front, writes Elena Siniscalco
Explainer: Rishi Sunak eyes a revival of Help to Buy May 2, 2023 Just over a month ago, we were reporting the phasing out of Help to Buy, which was closed to new entrants last year. Now, Rishi Sunak is considering relaunching the policy. Talking of u-turns. The scheme was introduced in 2013 by George Osborne to help first-time buyers get onto the housing ladder. It offered lower [...]
