Cherry Jones, a Swindon property manager and champion of leaseholders, has resigned from the Conservative Party over the government back-tracking over leasehold reform.
In correspondence to local Swindon MPs Robert Buckland, also the Solicitor-General, and
Justin Tomlinson, she says:
“I have resigned my conservative membership. I am embarrassed by the party I have supported all my life. This was a golden opportunity for the Conservatives to do something great.”
Ms Jones is a well known figure in the leasehold sector, who successfully campaigned for leaseholders to take control of residents’ management companies that were supposedly set up on their behalf.
The resulting controversy ultimately ensured that Bovis Homes dumped Countrywide Property Management nationwide.
For six years, Ms Jones has been campaigning for reform, attending LKP Westminster meetings, and speaking at events.
“After the talk by Sajid Javid concerning leasehold, I was elated that at long last government was going to investigate developers / freeholders, and the scandals of onerous ground rents etc, and take them to task over their appalling actions.
“Now the measures are so watered down … the daylight robbery will continue.”
Ms Jones, whose Home from Home property management company is accredited by LKP, is astonished that the government does not want to hear from companies such as hers.