Housing a pawn in Tory Brexit leadership scrap
April 16, 2019
Former Housing Minister Dominic Raab has called for “radical” housing reforms in an attempt to help renters get on the housing ladder and increase the rate of home building.
Attacking the Conservative failure to stand up to developers and ensure the construction of enough homes to tackle the housing shortage, Raab advocated a new Help to Buy scheme that would exempt landlords from capital gains tax when they sell their property to existing tenants.
The leadership hopeful also identified the following solutions:
- More government land to be released, with councils given more power to sell sites to smaller developers
- Design by tender after outline planning permissions are received
- Fewer impositions on councils who fail to get enough homes built
- Scrapping stamp duty on homes worth less than £500,000
- Digitise land registry records and support more modular housing
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) does not recall Dominic Raab voicing such policy proposals during his tenure as housing minister. This idea would have been worth hearing when he had a role shaping housing policy in the national interest, rather than when revealing his leadership ambitions on the back of embarrassingly drawn-out Brexit negotiations.
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “I don’t remember Dominic Raab having any of these ideas when he was housing minister. The revolving door used to usher in a steady stream of housing ministers is unlikely to get any rest, so how likely is it that these ideas will be implemented?”
The House Builders Association (HBA), the house building division of the NFB, has criticised Help to Buy because it fuels demand far more than it provides a supply of homes.
Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy for the HBA, said: “While there is no silver bullet to the housing crisis, it will also not be solved with just the floating of a few ideas. We need consistency, detail and the inclusion of SME house builders at the beginning of policy discussions.”
You May Also Enjoy
Prime London market activity falls,
The latest market insight from Jefferies London has revealed that the prime London market slowed considerably during the second half of 2025, with average monthly transaction levels falling by 31% compared to the first half of the year. Jefferies London analysed property market transactions across prime London postcodes, looking at the average monthly number of…
Read More 
Demand for wooden furniture remains strong as homeowners rediscover 1960s interiors
Experts reveal how natural materials and timeless design are bringing an overlooked vintage era back into modern homes Search interest in wooden furniture has remained consistently high over the past 12 months, peaking at its highest levels in spring 2025, as homeowners continue to prioritise natural materials and timeless design. Experts say this growing preference…
Read More 
UK postcode study identifies where buyers get the most space for their money
New analysis has revealed the best-value postcodes for buyers: One UK town offers FOUR times more space than the national average. The study, compiled by the experts at Sell House Fast, analysed postcodes across England and Wales to identify where buyers get the most space for their money. Where £100,000 buys the most space in…
Read More 
The graduate shortage: who will value Britain’s homes in 2030?
According to RICS, the average qualified surveyor is in their mid-fifties. Couple this with new entrant numbers failing to keep pace with retirements, and the profession faces a critical skills gap at the worst possible time. Ryan Mathews, Managing Director of LRG’s Surveyors division, examines why surveying struggles to attract new talent and what needs…
Read More 
62% of letting agents failing to comply
The latest industry insight from The Letting Partnership has found that while Client Money Protection (CMP) is a legal requirement across the lettings sector, 62% of letting agents are failing to clearly display valid CMP certification on their website, highlighting a growing issue around how compliance is demonstrated to landlords and tenants. The Letting Partnership…
Read More 
UK house prices sit above pandemic market peak
The latest research from Yopa has found that, six years on from the first Covid lockdown (23rd March 2020), the average UK house price remains 1.7% above the peak reached during the pandemic property market boom, despite the more subdued market conditions seen since. Yopa analysed* average house price data at three key points in…
Read More