Corbynite Labour MP Kate Osamor, who asked a series of parliamentary questions on behalf of residential freehold fund Long Harbour, has barred a prominent leasehold activist from her Twitter feed.
Baz Jafar, a doubling ground rent leaseholder, found he was blocked from his Edmonton MP’s official Twitter feed yesterday after raising the issue of the criminal conviction of her drug dealer son and press officer, Ishmael.
Baz on Twitter
Disappointed 2 learn the son of my MP @KateOsamor has been convicted of drugs offence. Upper Edmonton suffers terribly due to the drugs trade with local kids going missing and being sucked into county lines dealing, and daily violence on our streets. https://t.co/QJdDI2XDDI
Mr Jafar has met Miss Osamor on several occasions to discuss leasehold scandal doubling ground rents at Silver Point, built by Countryside Properties plc.
The freehold was then sold on to Long Harbour’s Adriatic Land 4 Limited, based in Guernsey, where the beneficial ownership is hidden behind nominee directors of the Sanne Group.
In spite of the efforts of Mr Jafar and many other constituents – and Miss Osamor’s apparent sympathy – Mr Jafar claims the MP has never raised leaseholders’ concerns in Parliament.
She did, however, respond to an lobbying initiative by Long Harbour, a £1.6 billion fund set up by Will Astor, heir to the viscountcy and half-brother to Samantha Cameron, the wife of the former Conservative prime minister.
Kate Osamor MP asks parliamentary questions for Long Harbour on ground rents, says Daily Telegraph
Days after a meeting orchestrated by professional lobbyists Pagefield, perhaps assisted by Mr Astor’s PR outfit Crosby Textor, Miss Osamor asked a number of parliamentary questions in September.
Mr Jafar told LKP:
“It is not only me she has blocked, she has also blocked journalists raising the issue of her son’s criminal conviction.
Leaving aside that she needs to get her house in order.
We have met her several times, but the only time she raised leasehold in Parliament it was on the part of our freehold owning who is holding us all ransom. We just are not impressed.”
Miss Osamor, who is the shadow cabinet overseas aid spokesman, employed her son as a press officer on a salary on £30-40,000.
It is unclear whether he is still employed in that role. Ishmael Osamor has stood down as a Haringay councillor.
Labour Shadow Cabinet Minister STILL employs son as spin doctor
Ishmael Osamor, 29, (pictured) was caught with ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and cannabis worth £2,500 at Dorset’s Bestival music festival in September last year.
Miss Osamor’s questions included asking James Brokenshire, Communities Secretary, if he had considered the “potential effect on the viability of the leasehold sector” of regulating ground rents or removing the costs altogether, as well as about the “implications” for the building of affordable homes and “the level of house building in each region”. The questions appeared to be an effort to gauge the degree of research undertaken by civil servants into the effects of “setting ground rent to as low as zero”, as the government is pledged to do.
In fact, the government has back-peddled on the crucial issue of setting ground rents to no monetary value in favour of a “nominal” £10 a year. It also gave the green light to continued ground rents – which are for no defined service whatsoever – in retirement housing.
£10pa ground rents maintain a legally enforceable legitimate income stream in residential freeholds – there are plenty of more lucrative dubious ones – and undermine any prospect of leasehold’s replacement with commonhold.
Related posts:
Kate Osamor MP asks parliamentary questions for Long Harbour on ground rents, says Daily Telegraph
Countryside Properties plc and Long Harbour to offer deal to end ground rent scam at Silver Point
Questions for MPs to ask Taylor Wimpey and Long Harbour today …
Tory MP Stephen McPartland shames Long Harbour / Adriatic Land into dropping doubling ground rent leases
Are hedge funds behind Long Harbour, asks Tory MP
Lawyers offer pro bono aid to leaseholder facing QC in £24,000 dispute in Upper Tribunal
Did Long Harbour lobby MP November 2, 2018
Was this another lobbyists attempt by Kate Osamor MP, asking James Brokenshire, Communities Secretary, in the House of Commons, if he had considered the “potential effect on the viability of the leasehold sector”?
(Has LKP received a statement they asked for from the Housing Shadow Minister – John Healey)?
I remember when David Cameron became the PM, he who was going to legislate against these potential money for questions by MPs. We are now aware that David Cameron’s wife’s, step brother Lord – William Waldorf Astor who is the owner of Long Harbour, Adriatic Land 4 Limited, based in Guernsey, worth £1.6 billion, where the beneficial ownership is hidden behind nominee directors of the Sanne Group.
Labour frontbencher and MP for Edmonton Kate Osamor the Shadow International Development Secretary asked a number of parliamentary questions (claimed by the Telegraph) which was allegedly drafted by the Lobbyist Pagefield, days after a meeting orchestrated by the professional lobbyists, perhaps assisted by Mr Astor’s PR outfit Crosby Texlor, Miss Osamor asked a number of parliamentary questions in September 2018.
Lord Astor, worked for 6 years with Vincent Tchenguiz a residential freehold financier who purchased The Peverel Group in 2007, and was forced to sell in 2011 after four Peverel Holding companies were placed in Administration. It is claimed the Long Harbour Business Model bears a strong resemblance to that of the Tchenguiz Family Trust.
The government through the previous Housing Minister now Home Secretary Sajid Javid pledged to undertake a thorough investigation into leasehold only for his replacement James Brokenshire to water down any potential changes. This so soon after hopes were raised, shows a concerted change which looks to have been orchestrated by Conservative Party Activists.
The questions asked if he had considered the potential effect on the viability of the leasehold sector, a strange question to ask from a Shadow International Development Secretary I would say?
The government through James Brokenshire has back peddled on the crucial issues of setting Peppercorn Ground Rents and instead gave the green light to continue as usual.
A disgrace! MP ‘s showing hostility to leaseholders, should not be re-elected. How else are we going to bring change? The drugs offence is a separate matter but does sets the tone…
Labour needs to clean the house.
Leasehold system must be taken up to party level; It has to become a voter winner..or loser for both parties. Without Leasehold/ground rent system this country could become a prospoerous country for all.
The National debt owed by the Government is about £1.7 Trillion = £1700 Billion and has to be supported on the shoulders of 30 Million tax payers.
The total value of 4 .1 million leaseholds x £200,000 per property = £ 820 Billion is a debt which has to be supported on the shoulders of 4.1 Million leaseholders and their families.
Yes we can be ,more prosperous if leasehold property was replaced by Commonhold..
Quote from Kate Osamor speaking in Oslo:
“We can no longer offer handouts of aid and charity while ignoring the fact that the global economy is structured in a way that benefits a few elites at the expense of everybody else”
What category would Kate Osamor put Lord Astor and Long harbour in?
The “Few Elites” or the “Everyone Else?”
Michael:-
The Quote from Kate Osamor
“We can no longer offer handouts of aid and charity while ignoring the fact that the global economy is structured in a way that benefits a few elites at the expense of everybody else”
Was this quote made before the 6 questions were asked, and if they were, it seems a complete turnaround in thinking, what could have happened in between?
We need MPs with integrity, otherwise what is the point of MPs like this one ?
Further to my previous posting:-
The Telegraph understands that Pagefield is coordinating a campaign on behalf of five firms in the leasehold sector, including Long Harbour.
Are the four other firms Freeholders, and are they also against government efforts to force them to replace cladding on their buildings that is similar to that used on Grenfell Tower.”
Pagefield declares Long Harbour as a client in the lobbying industry register. Long Harbour lobbyists also met LKP patron Jim Fitzpatrick MP, having repeatedly declined to do so if LKP were present at the meeting.
LKP has repeatedly invited Mr Astor to attend its meetings. Lord Astor, his father, is a member of the APPG and has attended once. Long Harbour told the Telegraph: “We were pleased to be able to help inform Ms Osamor’s parliamentary questions which sought to better understand the Government’s timetable and approach to reform.
To say there is nothing new in companies, helping parliamentarians as they go about their important business of questioning ministers.
Is this a true reflection provided by a Lobbyist???
From Previous Postings on LKP 21/12/2017 By Admin
Daily Mail Claims;-
Will Astor ‘tried to nobble reform of ground rents the half brother-in-law of former prime minister David Cameron, hired London-based PR firm Pagefield through his £1.3 billion Long Harbour fund in a bid to water down the reforms.
Long Harbour director Jack Spearman also sent an email this week to property executives asking them to sign an open letter to the Government expressing their concerns about the shake-up.
A Long Harbour spokesman said: ‘Long Harbour have played a co-ordinating role over the past three months to engage with the Government constructively over leasehold reform.
Oh LKP you’re a great site when you stick to the facts. But when you try to outdo the DM in gutter press smears? Not so much!
Why is this MP being blamed for offences committed by her son? The headline and photo caption suggest it was Kate herself who was charged.
And since when does an MP blocking someone on Twitter signify their position on any political issue?
Sadly all MPs get abuse on social media and they’re entirely within their rights to block anyone who is abusive. You didn’t say why this person was blocked or show the tweet which caused offence. You just leap to the conclusion that it was because the tweeter has a doubling ground rent, and that Osamor is not only opposed to leasehold reform but also taking the side of a local freeholder.
That’s quite a big assumption based on one deleted tweet!
Geri, the ‘offending’ tweet is right there in the middle of the article,
I have met Kate before and have always been polite to her.
I made the observation that questions will be asked when a convicted criminal is employed on an MP’s staff. The person running Kate’s twitter account decided to block me.
The nepotism I didn’t even mention because it has been going on regardless of party affiliation for a long time.
I have written to her asking for an explanation, but quite sadly have been ignored.
An MP who blocks and ignores fairly straightforward questions, and lobbies on behalf of institutional freeholders like Homeground/Long Harbour isn’t one who will have my support
I am extremely disappointed by her recent actions.
How may leaseholders are voters in her constituency? LKP you have the answer. Let us all know, including Jezza!
Too many with no help from her or the council. We are all cash cows to make money from.