Today’s guests:
Watch along…
At PMQs Burnham assured leaseholders they would have to “wait no further” before admitting the Leasehold Reform Bill may not even be laid this year. Starmer already kicked the draft Bill from last year into January…
Burnham told Labour conference that “the days of you being squeezed for every penny are coming to an end,” yet a little-noticed government consultation closing tonight threatens to gut key parts of the Tories’ Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. Which Labour backed…
The consultation sets the rates used to work out what leaseholders pay to extend their leases or buy their freeholds. Whatever ministers pick is set in stone for ten years…
In opposition, Matthew Pennycook, now housing minister, argued the Tory act did not go far enough and insisted ministers stick to the principle of “reducing premiums for leaseholders to their lowest possible level”. Now, buried in one paragraph of its consultation document, Labour says:
“… it is not intended to use prescribed rates in and of themselves, as a means of further reducing premiums for leaseholders.”
The row is over what are called capitalisation and deferment rates, which set prices. Leaseholder campaigners want both at 9% while freeholders are lobbying for lower rates, which The Times reports would leave leaseholders paying more. Pennycook has cited “technical flaws” as his reason to amend the Act’s enfranchisement rules, but stays silent on whether he will revive his own opposition amendments to make premiums “as cheap as possible for leaseholders.”
Pressed by Nick Ferrari on Labour watering down its manifesto pledge to “act where the Conservatives have failed and finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”, Rayner insisted yesterday it was still happening. She warned of a “highly litigious” process. Rayner, of course, bought a share of freehold on her Brighton flat. Hardly a vote of confidence in her own reforms…
YouGov has done some polling ahead of the Budget on the three options it presents to voters:
Support for the hiking tax and spend has fallen dramatically among voters of all parties, and 54% of Britons now want to cut welfare spending, up from 41% in June 2025. A big shift…
Tax and spend has lost 7 points among Labour voters, only 44% of whom now favour that option, down from 51%. Among the Greens the fall is even more dramatic, from 57% to 43%…
Favourability for decreasing the tax burden along with spending cuts has attracted support among all 2024 voting groups, as follows:
Brits sick of the useless high-spend state…
Lucy Powell is in the Commons responding to a new report on antisemitism in schools. After defending the education unions, the Education Secretary said:
“Fear of reprisal, fear of media attention, political attention, and others around being politically impartial is what has led many school leaders and teachers, and this was testimony we heard time and time again, to fear tackling these issues head-on.
When they hear some of these age-old tropes in the classroom, they’re not going into those debates, for fear of reprisal, for fear of not being supported.
David’s review was very clear that schools and colleges absolutely should be a place where issues can be debated, challenged, discussed and brought alive. So we do have to get this balance right, and if anything I would say the balance is too far the other way. The fear of remaining politically impartial is actually hampering our teachers and school leaders from doing what they need to do.”
Mind-blowing…
The Guido Fawkes Show LIVE airs tonight at 5pm. CLICK HERE to subscribe to Guido on YouTube…
This week’s special guests:
Tonight, live at 5, on YouTube and X. You don’t want to miss it…
Robert Jenrick on the Today programme:
“Can you now give a guarantee to your listeners this morning that no BBC presenter in the future will be exposed as a paedophile, as a number have been in the recent past? No, of course you can’t…”