Housing Secretary Michael Gove has become the latest high-profile MP to announce he would step down ahead of July’s General Election. Gove...
Archive
The chairperson of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has hit back at the Government’s approach – or lack of...
22 May 2024
From: Breaking News
The Labour Party has committed to building 1.5m new homes across the country over the next parliament. Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner...
22 May 2024
From: Breaking News
Sky News is reporting that up to 30 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against the government’s approach to ground rents...
02 May 2024
From: Breaking News
A report in the Times newspaper says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning a stamp duty cut in the early autumn. The paper...
22 April 2024
From: Breaking News
It’s tempting to think that Michael Gove’s proposed clampdown on Airbnb-style short lets is a uniquely British form of small-mindedness, part...
20 April 2024
From: Features
Plans to set ground rents at a ‘peppercorn rate’ are reported to have been dropped amid opposition from freehold campaigners and...
25 March 2024
From: Breaking News
The architect of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) reforms has expressed frustration that the recommendations have failed to materialise as...
22 March 2024
From: Breaking News
The Government has taken the unusual step of intervening in the London Plan to boost housebuilding in the capital. Housing Secretary Michael...
19 March 2024
From: Breaking News
Last weekend, Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Michael Gove wrote in the Sunday Times that the nation’s housing crisis was so...
17 February 2024
From: Features
Building on brownfield sites may not be the silver bullet it is made out to be, the government has been warned. Housing...
14 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has given the strongest hint yet that housing measures could be included in the Spring Budget. Chancellor Jeremy...
12 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...
27 January 2024
From: Features
The Government has published long-awaited reforms to its National Planning Policy Framework, confirming that local housebuilding targets will be advisory rather...
20 December 2023
From: Breaking News
The long-awaited Leasehold and Freehold Bill is set to be unveiled in Parliament today. The Bill aims to make it cheaper and...
27 November 2023
From: Breaking News
Lee Rowley has returned as housing minister. The reappointment comes after Rachel Maclean was sacked this morning and follows reports that the...
13 November 2023
From: Breaking News
Propertymark has written to the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to reiterate its longstanding call for regulation of property agents. The agency trade...
13 November 2023
From: Breaking News
The Government has outlined five proposals to reduce ground rents for existing leaseholders as its latest attempt to reform the sector...
10 November 2023
From: Breaking News
Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...
07 October 2023
From: Features
More families need a home they can call their own, the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Speaking at the Tory Party...
04 October 2023
From: Breaking News
And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...
09 September 2023
From: Features
I recently wrote that the long-gestating Renters Reform Bill, finally introduced in Parliament back in May, could be poorly timed, both...
26 August 2023
From: Features
The Government has set out yet another attempt to meet it manifesto commitment to build 1m homes over this Parliament. Prime Minister...
25 July 2023
From: Breaking News
It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...
17 July 2023
From: Breaking News
It’s not a sentence that I thought I would be writing, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove has indeed finally done something...
15 July 2023
From: Features
The Labour Party has announced it will be hosting an emergency mortgage summit this week. The summit, happening in London tomorrow, is...
11 July 2023
From: Breaking News
Labour says it will reform how land is valued under Compulsory Purchase Order powers in a bid to increase house building...
31 May 2023
From: Breaking News
The Labour Party has pledged to introduce legislation within its first 100 days of Government to abolish leasehold if it wins...
24 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has been slammed for “unhelpful” comments about abolishing leasehold after it emerged that there may not be...
12 May 2023
From: Breaking News
A coalition of businesses from across the property industry have united to call on the Government to do more to speed-up...
11 May 2023
From: Breaking News
The issue of conditional selling in estate agency has hit Westminster. There have been several reports in recent months about agents requiring...
11 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday. Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted...
04 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property industry may be going to great effort to digitise and improve the process of buying and selling a home...
13 March 2023
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has signalled that legislation to allow for further leasehold reform will be included in the next parliamentary...
21 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to leasehold reform and fixing cladding issues before the next election. It comes as the Government...
30 January 2023
From: Breaking News
It’s been a year since Housing Secretary Michael Gove declared that was “morally wrong” that leaseholders should pay to fix unsafe...
11 January 2023
From: Breaking News
As we get ever closer to 2023, this final Natter of the year is dedicated to the five biggest property moments of...
17 December 2022
From: Features
Is it really just a year ago that we were nervously wondering whether yet another Christmas would be Covid-affected? Little did we...
10 December 2022
From: Features
The Government has officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets as it brings its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill...
06 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A former Housing Secretary has outlined why the Conservative Party mustn’t abandon its commitment to housebuilding. It comes as some 47 Conservative...
24 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to look into issues with the Building Safety Act after MPs claimed leaseholders and Help to...
22 November 2022
From: Breaking News
MP for South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer has been confirmed as the latest Housing Minister as part of a department reshuffle. Michael...
09 November 2022
From: Breaking News
The Government’s target of constructing 300,000 new homes annually by 2025 has been called into question due to a lack of...
04 November 2022
From: Breaking News
And…breathe. For a while back there, the only certainty for the housing market was uncertainty. That isn’t to say the election of Rishi...
29 October 2022
From: Features
Estate agents have already filled Michael Gove's inbox with property-related tasks after he returned as Housing Secretary yesterday. New Prime Minister Rishi...
26 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Michael Gove has returned to frontline politics and his previous role as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. He is among the new...
25 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Simon Clarke has left Cabinet after Rishi Sunak officially entered Downing Street as Prime Minister this morning. Clarke cited his...
25 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Rishi Sunak has been confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader and will become the next UK Prime Minister. He will replace...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
A week-long race to be the next Conservative Party leader and the Prime Minister kicks off this week, or may already...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
I can’t really write about anything else this week, can I? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have...
22 October 2022
From: Features
Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Simon Clarke has given his backing for a return of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Clarke was...
21 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Liz Truss became the shortest serving UK Prime Minister yesterday, resigning after just 45 days and prompting a new Conservative Party...
21 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Simon Clarke is set for his first grilling by MPs as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. Clarke will be questioned by the...
18 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Who would be in the shoes of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng? I don’t mean who would like their power, pay and...
01 October 2022
From: Features
Housing minister Lee Rowley is set to make one of his first official public appearances at a Conservative Party fringe event...
30 September 2022
From: Breaking News
The worst cost-of-living crisis in generations is everywhere we look and agents – and the property industry more widely – are...
24 September 2022
From: Features
The latest housing minister has been revealed as the prospect of Stamp Duty reform returns to the property market. New ministerial appointments...
21 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Analysis: What did Boris Johnson do for the UK property market during his 3 years as Prime Minister?
Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...
17 September 2022
From: Features
First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...
10 September 2022
From: Features
New Housing Secretary Simon Clarke may be an unknown entity to many agents but he has a track record of supporting...
07 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Simon Clarke has been confirmed as the new Housing Secretary in the Cabinet of new Prime Minister Liz Truss this evening. He...
06 September 2022
From: Breaking News
From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...
06 September 2022
From: Breaking News
MPs have criticised the lack of detail in the government’s flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill when it comes to housebuilding...
25 August 2022
From: Breaking News
Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly being lined up as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should Liz Truss win...
22 August 2022
From: Breaking News
We are only a fortnight away from having a new Prime Minister, following a contest in which housing has played a...
20 August 2022
From: Features
Housing Secretary Greg Clark, who is also the Levelling Up Secretary, has been caught up in the storm surrounding Rishi Sunak...
08 August 2022
From: Breaking News
A parliamentary petition calling for ground rent charges to be extended to existing leases has reached the required number of signatures...
28 July 2022
From: Breaking News
A senior member of the Home Buying and Selling Group has insisted work on reforms is ongoing despite the ministerial merry-go-round...
11 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Estate agency trade body Propertymark is hoping to “maintain momentum” with newly appointed Housing Secretary Greg Clark. He replaces Michael Gove, who...
08 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Greg Clark has been named as the new Housing Secretary. Clark will replace Michael Gove who was sacked by Prime Minister Boris...
07 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Independent agent Barrows and Forrester has called for the appointment of a housing tsar for a fixed term as yet another...
07 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Michael Gove has been sacked as Housing Secretary as Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to reject calls to resign. Johnson was hit...
06 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid sensationally quit as Chancellor and Health Secretary respectively this evening but Housing Secretary Michael Gove is...
05 July 2022
From: Breaking News
It’s the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell fire tragedy, but are high rises any safer today than they were then? On 14th...
18 June 2022
From: Features
The government’s new Right to Buy policy for housing association tenants appeared to unravel last night after the Housing Secretary said...
14 June 2022
From: Breaking News
Housing Secretary Michael Gove and minister Stuart Andrew are set to be grilled by MPs on their property market plans today. The...
13 June 2022
From: Breaking News
A significant housing announcement has been promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a part of a sweetener that saw him...
07 June 2022
From: Breaking News
In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...
21 May 2022
From: Features
Propertymark has expressed hope that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will help boost much needed agency supply. The trade body has...
16 May 2022
From: Breaking News
A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...
09 May 2022
From: Breaking News
What a difference two months and some local elections make. Cast your minds back to March 9 and the annual report of...
07 May 2022
From: Features
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is believed to have become the first MP to take in Ukrainian refugees under the government’s...
19 April 2022
From: Breaking News
Fifteen businesses which had bought freeholds from housing developer Countryside have now given formal undertakings to remove terms that cause ground...
21 March 2022
From: Breaking News
Too many leaseholders will fall through the cracks of the government’s “piecemeal measures” to combat the cladding crisis. That’s the view of...
16 March 2022
From: Breaking News
The government has now formally launched the Homes For Ukraine scheme, heavily leaked in recent days. The Secretary of State for Levelling...
15 March 2022
From: Breaking News
Momentum is building up in support of the government’s probe into whether the London homes of oligarchs on the sanctions list...
04 March 2022
From: Breaking News
The government is considering seizing British property owned by Russian oligarchs on the sanctions list without paying compensation. The Financial Times says Housing...
03 March 2022
From: Breaking News
Agents have told Housing Secretary Michael Gove that his Levelling Up agenda needs to include positive efforts to bring hundreds of...
02 March 2022
From: Breaking News
The government is threatening to deny planning consent to developers who refuse to pay towards the removal of unsafe cladding on...
16 February 2022
From: Breaking News
The government’s new Levelling Up White Paper, revealed this morning includes a radical reshaping of the private rental sector. Section 21 eviction...
02 February 2022
From: Breaking News
22 January 2022
From: Features
Owners of second homes who abuse a tax loophole by claiming their often-empty properties are holiday lets will be forced to...
14 January 2022
From: Breaking News
The government should reset planning policy and scrap proposals for thousands of new homes in high-risk flood areas. The think-tank Localis, in...
22 November 2021
From: Breaking News
The Budget has proven more generous than many expected - and with most property taxation left unchanged. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has made...
27 October 2021
From: Breaking News
A part of the Connells Group is telling the new Housing Secretary that he and his government “must do more” to...
18 October 2021
From: Breaking News
Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess. Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David...
18 October 2021
From: Breaking News
Former Housing Secretary James Brokenshire has died at the age of 53. The Conservative ex-Cabinet minister, who was diagnosed with lung cancer...
08 October 2021
From: Breaking News
A leading planning consultancy has claimed that ‘the myth’ that housing developers are hoarding land after gaining planning consent in order...
23 September 2021
From: Breaking News
Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...