I write this at about 2.30 pm on one of the most extraordinary days in British Politics.
Boris Johnson has been forced, largely by MPs tired of being lied to, to resign after his government became unsustainable having had over 50 resignations.
I have to say that I have never been a fan of Mr Johnson and am relieved at his departure. However, the removal vans have not yet arrived at Downing Street and it looks like there will be an argument about exactly when he will be stepping down.
So far as landlords, tenants and all who work in the housing sector are concerned, the burning question is ‘how will this affect the recently published Housing White Paper?’
The Levelling Up Department had been largely denuded of its Ministers by the Great Resignations, plus Michael Gove was sacked last night, apparently by telephone by Boris Johnson (for being a ‘snake’).
In fact, the only Minister left in post (apart from House of Lords Ministers) is Eddie Hughes.
I have just had a look at the department home page Ministers section and it looks like this (yellow banners added by me):
This is not a wholly accurate picture though as we are told that Greg Clark (whose image appears at the top of this post) has been appointed as the Secretary of State. No doubt the Civil Servants will get around to replacing the images in due course.
I know very little about Greg Clark so have no idea what his view will be on the recently published White Paper. His Wikipedia entry shows that he has been in the department before for two years under Cameron when it was the Communities and Local Government. So hopefully he will have some experience in housing matters.
Apparently, the FT has described him as an “economically liberal Conservative with a social conscience” whatever that means.
So what do YOU think about it all? What chances do you think the White Paper has? Please leave your comments below. I would love to have your views on all this.
My MP is one who resigned, and i have just about got him trained about housing and what it meant to be a landlord pre and post the white paper, so that was a waste of time !!!!
Maybe once a new person is at the top all those that left will be reinstated
Gove was given a poisoned chalice by Boris. (Gove knew it but his ego was too big to refuse it.)
Scrapping ‘no fault’ section 21 evictions makes a great soundbite but the wider consequences to the PRS is bloody stupid.