Boris must hit the ground running

Boris Johnson has been elected as leader of the Conservative Party and will officially take over as prime minister on 24 July. The former mayor of London has promised to take Britain out of the EU by 31 October 2019 with or without a deal.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory, but cautions him that, regardless of the eventual shape of Brexit, the country and the economy need certainty above everything else.

From EU citizens’ rights and climate change to the housing crisis and late payment which is crippling the construction industry, the new prime minister must enable change and avoid getting stuck by trying to solve one problem at a time.

Nick Sangwin, national chair of the NFB, said: “We wish Boris Johnson well but he needs to hit the ground running. Brexit uncertainty must be dispelled so that businesses can get on with planning their own futures. Deal or no deal, the EU settlement scheme and proposed immigration reforms need immediate reform or we risk leaving millions of our EU friends behind.”

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “We implore the new prime minister to give more attention to our domestic despairs. With no end in sight to the housing crisis, this country needs radical planning reform. We must also eradicate the scourge of late payment and reform outdated procurement practices so that our hard-working SMEs and regional contractors can propel Britain’s economy into prosperity after Brexit.”

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

how to present your property for sale
Estate Agent Talk

Why Chain Risk Should Be Treated as a Sales Progression Priority

Every estate agent knows the relief of getting an offer accepted. It is the moment the seller feels progress, the buyer feels committed and the branch can start looking ahead to completion. But an accepted offer is not the same as a secure sale. Until contracts are exchanged, a transaction can still be delayed, renegotiated…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 6/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Property portals are sales tools, what buyers need are truth tools   Thought leadership by Oliver Januiax Founder of NestLink   ‘The UK property market has an access not a search problem. For two decades, property portals solved the obvious question of where are the homes? They did it well enough…
Read More
New Builds 2020
Breaking News

New-build stock continues to fall as demand subdued

The latest analysis from Property Inspect has found that demand for new-build homes remained subdued during the second quarter of 2026, with just 16.3% of available new-build properties securing a buyer. At the same time, new-build stock levels continued to decline, accounting for 5.8% of all homes listed on the market across Great Britain. Property Inspect…
Read More
AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

5 Practical Examples: This is How AI is Changing Real Estate

There does not appear to be a single industry that is likely to be immune from the impact of AI. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that seismic changes are happening in the world of real estate, thanks to the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. From using the technology to identify ways to save…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

Overheating moves up the housing agenda

441,000 rental homes fail thermal comfort standards The latest analysis from Inventory Base has found that an estimated 441,000 private rented homes in England failed thermal comfort standards in 2024, accounting for 40.3% of all non-decent private rental properties, as major reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) came into force on…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth slows in June

The latest Nationwide House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices fell by -0.0% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased to 2.2% in June 2026, up from 1.7% in May 2026. The average UK house price for June 2026 now stands at £277,484, down slightly from £278,024 in…
Read More