London Mayoral elections in May

The EU referendum planned for the 23rd June is really taking the limelight at present what with David Cameron pushing for “remain” since his return  from Brussels In February, Boris Johnson putting his weight behind the “leave” campaign, the resignation of John Longworth Head of The British Chambers of Commerce following his fallout over “Brexit” and only just yesterday we had the “Eurosceptics” attack on Mark  Carney Governor of the Bank of England for his pro EU comments in the Brexit debate.

There is another important vote taking place before the EU refrendum and that is on the 5th May when Londoners will elect a new Mayor and the 25 members of the London Assembly.

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon is putting forward some worthwhile policies which deal with some of the problems facing the large population of “private renters” in London.

Ms Pidgeon said in a recent report that she would encourage landlords to offer longer tenancies if elected,  she hoped this would provide renters with both stability and protection from rent hikes, looking to increase them from the present 6 months to up to 5 years.

The LibDem hopeful has also pledged to build 200,000 new homes to increase supply and “push down” rents, last month she outlined proposalsto give tenants first refusal on buying their home should the landlord decide to sell it during their tenancy.

In a recent visit to an affordable housing development site Ms Pidgeon was reported as saying: “By making sure rogue landlords are prosecuted, enforcing housing standards and promoting longer tenancies of 3 to 5 years to give tenants security we can make an real impact on improving the lives of people who choose to rent.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK Construction Sector Activity Remains Stagnant

Glenigan’s data shows construction sector performance is depressed in a tough socio-economic landscape The value of underlying (under £100 million) work starting on-site during the three months to the end of July declined 11% and fell 29% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell sharply, declining 25% against the preceding three months and dropping…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Seven fire safety myths every business should avoid

Fire safety is one of those responsibilities that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves – until something goes wrong, that is. For many businesses, compliance has fallen into the trap of being a tick-box exercise that’s centred around annual inspections, manual training exercises, and having the right paperwork in place. And although these are…
Read More
Breaking News

Suzy Lamplugh’s legacy underlines the need to always make lone-worker safety a priority

More than 40 years after estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared while attending a work appointment, her legacy remains a powerful reminder that personal safety must be central to workplace practices. On 28 July 1986, 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh left her London office for an appointment and never returned. Her disappearance led her parents, Diana and Paul…
Read More
Breaking News

Prime London sellers return to market

The latest analysis from Beham and Reeves has found that the number of homes listed for sale at £2m or above across Prime Central London increased during the second quarter of 2026, although performance continues to vary considerably between the capital’s most prestigious neighbourhoods.   Benham and Reeves analysed current Prime Central London property listings…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

What to know when buying land

The closure of UK Land & Farms (UKLAF) has left a significant gap in the UK’s specialist land market with buyers and sellers now forced to adapt after 18 years of relying on UKLAF as the cornerstone of the industry. As interest in land continues to grow, the company says the closure also serves as…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Tenant demand strong, landlord supply shrinking

New RICS data shows tenant demand at its strongest in over a year – while landlord supply keeps shrinking. That’s not bad luck. It’s a trust problem, and it’s fixable. “These numbers should be good news for landlords. Demand is the strongest it’s been in over a year. Instead, they are deciding to head for…
Read More