Conservative Party Conference 2023: Running on rhetoric?
It was difficult to escape coverage of this year’s Conservative Party Conference – likely the last before a general election. But with any mention of housing notably absent from the major speeches, were any meaningful plans to tackle the housing crisis unveiled, or is the Conservative Party now simply running on rhetoric?
Amidst an on-going cost-of-living crisis and with HS2 rumours swirling, there was inevitably much talk of the economy, environment and infrastructure at this year’s Conservative Party Conference. Behind the scenes though, housing dominated much of the discussion on the fringe.
Hardly surprising, perhaps, given the chronic housing shortage and unremitting media coverage of the housing market’s ups and downs. Polling from YouGov suggests that 20% of adults think that housing is one of the most important issues facing the country, and away from the main stage there did appear to be some consensus building on the role the private rented sector can (and does) play in providing a solution.
NRLA Chief Executive, Ben Beadle, joined many of these discussions, engaging with Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt MP, Ben Everitt MP, Rebecca Pow MP and others and questioning the Secretary of State, Michael Gove MP, directly on whether he agreed that “a thriving private rented sector, where landlords have the confidence to offer quality housing, is crucial for the future of housing provision”?
In short, the Secretary of State replied that he did, but he went on to give one of the most positive indications that the Government’s stance on the private rented sector is shifting.
NRLA CEO Ben Beadle with Penny Mordaunt MP, Leader of the House of Commons.
The Secretary of State described the private rented sector as an important element of a well-functioning housing market – a view that contrasts starkly with sentiment at last year's conference, where attitudes towards the private rented sector were decidedly adverse.
Solutions and certainty still lacking
All very well you may say, but with the Renters (Reform) Bill making painfully slow progress through Parliament, the certainty the sector desperately needs is still critically lacking.
The Housing Minister, Rachel MacLean MP, did her best to reassure the sector at our fringe event. Speaking from the panel, the Minister expressed the need for landlords to have a “guarantee” that the court system will work for them. Again, strong language but little detail as to how the Government intends to achieve it. Court reform is vital to ensure that landlords can continue to operate post-reform, and the lack of progress to digitise and adequately resource the courts remains a pressing concern.
Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP speaking at this week's conference
The NRLA hosted packed fringe event 'Going private: reforming Englands Rental Market'
NRLA CEO Ben Beadle attended an invitation-only dinner organised by the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt
Both the Secretary of State and Housing Minister did confirm that the Renters (Reform) Bill would have its second reading before the King’s Speech in November. But the need for such wholesale changes was questioned by GB News editor, Liam Halligan, at our roundtable, who pondered whether a “sledgehammer of measures” really is the right approach to improve outcomes for tenants. He added “I worry that…if [landlords] withdraw their services from the economy, it won’t do anyone any good.”
They say the first step in any recovery is to admit there’s a problem, and at long last it appears the Government is doing so. They also say that the first step is the hardest; let’s hope that holds true and the Government brings forward a plan to fix the issues undermining confidence in the sector sooner rather than later.
Until then, you can watch our fringe event with the Housing Minister in the video, at the bottom of this article.
Eddie Hughes MP, pictured with NRLA Chair Jodi Berg OBE and NRLA CEO Ben Beadle
