Following a comprehensive election victory, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has installed Britain’s new leadership team in Downing Street, and begun to implement manifesto commitments to “change” how things are run.
Angela Rayner (Housing & Communities) is already making waves; Rachel Reeves (Chancellor) has warned of the dire state of the national coffers, while Minister Matthew Pennycook is forging ahead with a re-working of the National Planning Policy Framework. Alongside elected MPs, Starmer has given a number of outside experts seats at his top table – notably former Chief Scientist Sir Patrick Vallance and retail boss James Timpson.
Housing is at the top of agenda. Reforms are incoming for the planning system, the private rented sector and the leasehold regime, and we’re likely to see (upward) tweaks to Stamp Duty as well as changes to other taxes targeting wealth and the wealthy.
Prime Resi spoke to Tom Hudson, Middleton co-founder about what to expect in the coming months:
“My focus would be on planning policy which I believe is the key to improving the UK property sector. I do not feel it needs any major or significant change, just small scale changes that would allow the system to work more efficiently.
“Part of the problem with a new government is that they want to replace the entire ‘car’, rather than just changing the oil”!
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