• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
Donate

Leasehold Knowledge Management Logo

Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold reform

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
  • Advice
  • News
    • Find everything …
    • About Peverel group
    • APPG
    • ARMA
    • Bellway
    • Benjamin Mire
    • Brixton Hill Court
    • Canary Riverside
    • Charter Quay
    • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
    • Cladding scandal
    • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
    • Commonhold
    • Communities Select Committee
    • Conveyancing Association
    • Countrywide
    • MHCLG
    • E&J Capital Partners
    • Exit fees
    • FirstPort
    • Fleecehold
    • Forfeiture
    • FPRA
    • Gleeson Homes
    • Ground rent scandal
    • Hanover
    • House managers flat
    • House of Lords
    • Housing associations
    • Informal lease extension
    • Insurance
    • IRPM
    • JB Leitch
    • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
    • John Christodoulou
    • Justin Bates
    • Justin Madders MP
    • Law Commission
    • LEASE
    • Liam Spender
    • Local authority leasehold
    • London Assembly
    • Louie Burns
    • Martin Paine
    • McCarthy and Stone
    • Moskovitz / Gurvits
    • Mulberry Mews
    • National Leasehold Campaign
    • Oakland Court
    • Park Homes
    • Parliament
    • Persimmon
    • Peverel
    • Philip Rainey QC
    • Plantation Wharf
    • Press
    • Property tribunal
    • Prostitutes
    • Quadrangle House
    • Redrow
    • Retirement
    • Richard Davidoff
    • RICS
    • Right To Manage Federation
    • Roger Southam
    • Rooftop development
    • RTM
    • Sean Powell
    • SFO
    • Shared ownership
    • Sinclair Gardens Investments
    • Sir Ed Davey
    • Sir Peter Bottomley
    • St George’s Wharf
    • Subletting
    • Taylor Wimpey
    • Tchenguiz
    • Warwick Estates
    • West India Quay
    • William Waldorf Astor
    • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
  • [Custom]
Menu
  • Advice
  • News
      • Find everything …
      • About Peverel group
      • APPG
      • ARMA
      • Bellway
      • Benjamin Mire
      • Brixton Hill Court
      • Canary Riverside
      • Charter Quay
      • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
      • Cladding scandal
      • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
      • Commonhold
      • Communities Select Committee
      • Conveyancing Association
      • Countrywide
      • MHCLG
      • E&J Capital Partners
      • Exit fees
      • FirstPort
      • Fleecehold
      • Forfeiture
      • FPRA
      • Gleeson Homes
      • Ground rent scandal
      • Hanover
      • House managers flat
      • House of Lords
      • Housing associations
      • Informal lease extension
      • Insurance
      • IRPM
      • JB Leitch
      • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
      • John Christodoulou
      • Justin Bates
      • Justin Madders MP
      • Law Commission
      • LEASE
      • Liam Spender
      • Local authority leasehold
      • London Assembly
      • Louie Burns
      • Martin Paine
      • McCarthy and Stone
      • Moskovitz / Gurvits
      • Mulberry Mews
      • National Leasehold Campaign
      • Oakland Court
      • Park Homes
      • Parliament
      • Persimmon
      • Peverel
      • Philip Rainey QC
      • Plantation Wharf
      • Press
      • Property tribunal
      • Prostitutes
      • Quadrangle House
      • Redrow
      • Retirement
      • Richard Davidoff
      • RICS
      • Right To Manage Federation
      • Roger Southam
      • Rooftop development
      • RTM
      • Sean Powell
      • SFO
      • Shared ownership
      • Sinclair Gardens Investments
      • Sir Ed Davey
      • Sir Peter Bottomley
      • St George’s Wharf
      • Subletting
      • Taylor Wimpey
      • Tchenguiz
      • Warwick Estates
      • West India Quay
      • William Waldorf Astor
      • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
You are here: Home / Latest News / What is the point of this government, asks Lisa Nandy as it wriggles over promised leasehold reforms

What is the point of this government, asks Lisa Nandy as it wriggles over promised leasehold reforms

May 24, 2023 //  by Sebastian O'Kelly

Labour’s Lisa Nandy and Matthew Pennycook poured scorn on the government’s repeated and undelivered promises to reform the leasehold system. The debate showed wide knowledge among MPs of the leasehold issues. LKP has spent years coaxing the Law Commission and officials to get to the point when oven-ready reforms are there and waiting. Yet, again we are let down by Number 10. Last time it was Johnson’s tiresome election strategists; this time it is more opaque. But even if Number 10 did press the go-ahead at this late stage in a dying administration, would the reforms then just get caught up in the 2024 election?

Scorn was poured on the government yesterday over bigging up its plans to reform leasehold and not delivering … and not turning up for an Opposition debate, in the case of Michael Gove.

His shadow Lisa Nandy had an open goal and didn’t miss.

Gove has seemingly appeared to be the one government minister who can actually deliver, but not with leasehold, which he has repeatedly said he was going to abolish (by which he meant: phase out over a few decades in favour of commonhold).

On the other hand, the commitment to bring through the leasehold reforms and commonhold were repeated.

Lisa Nandy: “Now, we are told that the Secretary of State was being too maximalist. We have had grumbling from Government Back Benchers that the Secretary of State is being too socialist. Downing Street has stepped in, plans are being rowed back and he is not even able to set foot in the Chamber today. It is a bit of a mess, isn’t it? … It does make us wonder what is actually the point of this Government.”

Nandy assured leaseholders Labour would put matters right pronto, so they can take comfort in one promise being swapped for another.

The full debate can be read here:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-05-23/debates/FF122851-B7C5-4946-A830-B548A4C6AAC3/LeaseholdReform

Or watched here:

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/b85355a2-5ffe-4aaa-acea-0ac3f236dc84

There were excellent contributions from well-informed MPs such as Clive Betts, Mark Tami and Matt Western, but the stand-out speech came from fellow Labour MP Justin Madders (below).

The smart money nowdays is not building and selling houses and flats: it is selling the legally enforceable income streams that have been surreptiously squirrelled into them, either by leases or by estate management fiddling (fleecehold) or, quite possibly worst of all, publicly subsidised shared ownership.

Mr Madders said:

“This debate is, at its root, about power, who holds it and how it is exercised. Who owns the land holds the power. That has always been true in this country, but we have moved on from the barons and the lords of the manor to the offshore private equity companies—a 21st-century update of the feudal arrangements that have for so long held this country back.

“It is an arrangement that no other country in the world has sought to replicate. We know that this Government are not keen on international comparisons but perhaps that ought to tell us something.

“It is clear from this debate that just about everyone agrees that something needs to change, but I am not confident that we will see change any time soon. I thought the Government were all about taking back control. Do they not realise that a leaseholder does not have control? How can they have control if someone is trying to use their home as a cash cow?”

Unexplored in the debate is how shared ownership is becoming the new cheat in property: with overseas private equity getting involved in the preposterous notion of “for-profit social housing”.

Sir Peter Bottomley singled out the practices of Mr SJ [Spencer] McCarthy, of Churchill Retirement Living, who is selling leases created before the ban on ground rents became effective in the retirement sector on 1 April:

“That is the kind of—expletive deleted—behaviour that leaseholders had to put up with for 20 or 30 years,” Sir Peter said.

He also referred disobligingly to low-end freehold punter Martin Paine, who he called a crook again:

“I have found that there are a number of crooks in this business, one of whom is Martin Paine—he adds an “e” to the hurt he does. He would take leases that were about to run out and give informal extensions, not resetting the ground rent to zero, but saying that he was doubling ground rent from the time the lease was first given out. Nothing much has happened about this.”

Sir Peter also noted that Lisa Nandy had referenced a new leaseholder group called Commonhold Now, the core of which are affluent leaseholders in London Docklands, one of whom “claims the credit for the “People’s Pledge” campaign, set up in 2011, for a vote on whether we remained in European Union. The organisation folded in 2016 when we had the referendum—well, they did well, didn’t they? …

“Oddly, it has not approached me during its months of existence, and when it put out a press notice the BBC took it as though it was gospel and the Secretary of State had promised to abolish all existing leaseholds in double-quick time. He had not, and no one believed that he had.”

Related posts:

Labour’s Lisa Nandy taunts Tories over ‘feudal’ leaseholds. Meanwhile, PM channels Thatcher to revive enfranchisement plans After 60 consultations, Bottomley told ‘when parliamentary time allows’ for reforms promised three years ago Government considers adding leasehold abuses to consumer protection law Lee RowleyDismal picture of leasehold emerges from MPs’ debate. But no government commitment on reforms Leasehold reforms this parliamentary session, says minister

Category: Latest News, News, ParliamentTag: Justin Madders MP, Lisa Nandy, Sir Peter Bottomley

Sign up to the LKP newsletter

Fill in the link here

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @LKPleasehold

Mentions

Anthony Essien (34) APPG (44) ARMA (91) Benjamin Mire (32) Cladding scandal (71) Clive Betts MP (33) CMA (46) Commonhold (56) Competition and Markets Authority (42) Countryside Properties plc (33) FirstPort (55) Grenfell cladding (56) Ground rents (55) Israel Moskovitz (32) James Brokenshire MP (31) Jim Fitzpatrick (36) Jim Fitzpatrick MP (31) Justin Bates (41) Justin Madders MP (75) Katie Kendrick (40) Law Commission (61) LEASE (68) Leasehold Advisory Service (65) Leasehold houses (32) Liam Spender (39) Long Harbour (51) Lord Greenhalgh (32) Martin Boyd (87) McCarthy and Stone (43) National Leasehold Campaign (42) Persimmon (49) Peverel (61) Property tribunal (49) Retirement (38) Robert Jenrick (33) Roger Southam (47) Sajid Javid (38) Sebastian O’Kelly (67) Sir Peter Bottomley (211) Taylor Wimpey (106) Tchenguiz (33) The Guardian (33) The Times (34) Vincent Tchenguiz (45) Waking watch contracts (40)
Previous Post: « Black Friday for FirstPort: ALL leaseholders at St David’s Square to share £479,000 service charge triumph. And £55,000 in energy subsidies to be paid up
Next Post: Court of Appeal backs rights of 200,000 shared ownership leaseholders after right to manage duel with Israel Moskovitz »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John Smith

    May 25, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    What an odd and pompous comment from Bottomley. He’s the Chairman of an APPG – which are largely talking shops and have zero power. Anyone who works in Westminster could tell you that. The way he was talking, you’d think he was the Secretary of State!

    Most leaseholders I know welcome more groups entering this debate, especially if they can bring something new and exciting to the show. If we are being honest, established campaigns have become a bit stale and lost their puff. The fact that Sir Peter is the main spokesperson says it all – he’s hardly an up-and-coming MP!

    Leaseholders want change. If they feel unrepresented, then they will go elsewhere.

    • martin

      May 25, 2023 at 10:29 pm

      Thank you for your comment “John Smith” Our work and that of the APPG and groups like the NLC is why the reforms have moved forward. I know some lobby types think that not how things work but it has for this issue.

      Please don’t bother with the barbs. Your language rather give the game away

      • Deborah Kol

        May 26, 2023 at 3:39 am

        Actually I agree with John Smith’s comment.

        It’s a most peculiar comment made by Sir Peter Bottomley (and I will independently write to him about it).

        As a supporter of LKP and the APPG, I was surprised by Sir Peter’s comment because it’s coming from a person who is 79 years old !!

        The essence of the statement is very childish and reveals feelings of jealousy. It’s not the kind of statement that is going to go down in history as that of a true leader.

        One really would have expected the older generation to welcome, encourage and nurture the younger generation to be continuing the same cause.

        The more groups like Commonhold Now, the better. Fresh blood, fresh ideas. This is what leasehold campaigners need – an injection of new energy.

        • Martin

          May 29, 2023 at 10:07 am

          I agree it was not something particularly relevant to main purpose of the debate. It was unfortunate Nandy made a silly error that caused him to react but that was also not important. We have spent many years with Ministers being briefed to pretend we did not exist. Some years ago Ministers were briefed to try and say LEASE more often than opposition MPs might say LKP -not the most mature way to run a democracy.

          LKP has always worked hard to ensure we help represent those of all ages and all groups across the sector and if I remember we first had contact with in 2019. Leasehold flats are often the first and last places that people live in as their home. From our prospective they are also the two groups that need most support.

          It is inevitable as we move towards the final stages of the announcement of the reforms there will be lots of speculation of what is and is not included. What can be included can only be that where policy development has taken place. That takes place over many years.

          It is therefore unfortunate that parts of the press are misunderstanding the difference between creating the systems that result in the phased abolition of leasehold as set out by the Law Commission reports and in government proposals and the idea it may happen very quickly. We still do not have a working model for commonhold for new build set out in draft legislation. So the idea there could be a working model for conversion is misguided – that will take time. Most people have no idea what commonhold is.

          • Anne Heelan

            May 29, 2023 at 11:01 am

            I have been involved in campaigning with the fantastic NLC with some success getting an advertisement for Shared Ownership banned. However, campaigning is time consuming and exhausting. We need multiple voices with different perspectives to chip away at this feudal system. I am delighted by the emergence of Commonhold Now. Harry Scoffin is an excellent campaigner and the ultimate aim of this campaign is in the name. When leaseholders understand there is another way, they will fight for it. I am terribly disappointed by Sir Peter’s comments. We should all be on the same side here.

          • Ben Edwards

            May 29, 2023 at 11:23 am

            I don’t think Nandy mentioning ‘commonhold now’ was a ‘silly mistake’; you might argue that it was a mistake not to mention LKP in the same statement, but the attack on the credibility of Commohold Now was juvenile. Constituents have the right to organise on any basis they wish, they don’t require permission from Bottomley or anyone else.

            I’m really sad to see the factionalism creeping in between LKP and Commonhold Now. Harry spent four years working for LKP. He’s earned the right to speak without being patronised or attacked.

            I’m active in the Labour Party and I watched factionalism almost destroy us. Do not, for the love of god, let that happen in leasehold.

          • G Farley

            May 31, 2023 at 4:24 pm

            I thought they already have Commonhold property in Scotland. The government has been talking about changing leasehold to commonhold for many years. I attended a meeting in Portcullis House London in 2016 when the Law Commissioner chaired the meeting. But in 2023 we are no further forward.
            It is now very difficult to sell retirement leasehold property as people do not trust the Freeholders and Management. Last year they doubled our ground rent with very little warning. People who have been left these properties by their parents are having to pay thousands of pounds in service charges for a number of years

          • John

            June 1, 2023 at 3:07 pm

            The comments on Commonhold Now serve only our detractors. They want us to fight each other. They want us to disagree. LKP, NLC and Commonhold Now have all done great work. If we stand together and fight together, we’ve got a real chance of delivering change. That’s what leaseholders are focusing on. The news from Labour and the Co Op Party was really welcome to a lot of us. We’re focussed on delivering change that’s going to benefit millions of people who’ve been stamped on like dirt. Let’s go and finish this.

  2. Stephen Burns

    May 25, 2023 at 4:48 pm

    I would like to see the total abolition of the archaic feudal Leasehold – Freehold (Fleecehold) racket, and have it replaced with Commonhold.

    In terms of campaign groups I believe the more the better, providing we all have the same or similar broad objectives, which is putting an end to the current system.

    Active campaigning and especially the publicity given to it have and will continue to make a difference, you only need to read the recent articles published on this site.

    It is my understanding that the Government has achieved more in terms of Leasehold reform in the past several Months, than has taken place in past decades. And in all probability it all came about by the collective campaigning of many groups,and especially by Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, Firstport Residents Action Group, etc.

    I really do hope that Michael Gove can persuade the PM to enact legislation to bring about the demise of the present system.

    • Michael Hollands

      May 30, 2023 at 12:55 am

      Please do not forget those in complexes where Commonhold would be unworkable. Namely some Retirement Complexes for the very elderly or Assisted Living Complexes for the infirm. This would include many Social Housing developments some of which can be a mixture of leaseholders and tenants.. We still need revisions to the current Leasehold system with proper regulation of Landlord/Management Companies, so we can force them to comply. And we need the Housing Ombudsman system to have the powers to enforce their decisions.
      I wish every success to those campaigning for Commonhold, but please do not forget us who have been campaigning since 2010 for Leasehold reform.

  3. jo smith

    May 28, 2023 at 7:17 am

    30 years a Tory voter I will be voting Labour for one reason, to see if they go through with their plans to abolish leasehold.

  4. Loz

    May 29, 2023 at 9:21 am

    This is not about Tory or Labour, this is about a system that has not worked. The reason that there is no swift change is that it brings in money for local authorities. However, if your freeholder is a local authority with historical and current poor communication and poor accounting and a revolving door or staff any contact is challenging and almost pointless. Add to this a local authority who is consistently considered one of the worst by the ombudsman and it’s own residents. This is a Labour run local authority. I don’t care who abolishes leasehold system however I am curious how local authorities will get the monies they have enjoyed fleecing from leaseholders as it will not be coming from central government.

    • Shula rich

      May 29, 2023 at 10:23 am

      Replying on ‘shared ownership’

      It’s a con because it’s not ‘shared ownership ‘ . It’s ‘double mortgage leasehold ‘

      The leaseholder is the sole proprietor at the land registry.
      and is the sole owner.

      (If ownership existed in leasehold.)

      What’s shared is the finance. Shared ownership means you have one conventional mortgage and a second more expensive one which you repay with ‘rent’ ( which is not rent but a form of interest)

      If it were shared ownership you would not pay all of the service charges.

      Cheers and massive thanks to the indefatigable LKP for standing up for leaseholders again and again and again:)
      Shula

  5. Alec

    May 30, 2023 at 6:35 am

    I understand that Leasehold Reform for the existing c. 4.6 million leaseholders, and as recommended by the Law Commission (LC) following consultation, with their representatives, including notably LKP (Seb, Martin, Peter Bottomley, Justin Madders et al.) will be announced in November in the King’s Speech.

    These reforms, principally on extending existing leases, are long overdue, and separate from the ultimate goal of Commonhold.

    Commonhold can wait for the right moment in the lifetime of the present parliament. In the meantime, the reforms recommended by the LC for extending existing leases should not be delayed any longer.

    New 900 year leases with a share of the freehold can always contain a clause allowing the majority of qualifying leaseholders in a development to adopt Commonhold as and when they may wish to do so .

    • Ben Edwards

      May 30, 2023 at 9:56 am

      Then you disagree with Lord Greenhalgh. (https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/interview-with-lord-greenhalgh-i-dont-think-the-leasehold-reforms-will-be-in-the-kings-speech/)

      Even if they do get announced, it’s quite clear from the recent stories in the Times that thy will be watered down from Gove’s original promise to abolish leasehold.

      It may be your position that ‘something is better than nothing’, and that we should be grateful for anything we get. I understand that position – governments have been promising leasehold reform for decades, with very little concrete change.

      But let’s not pretend that such a watering down did not happen. Perhaps for you commonhold can wait. For those of us at the sharp end of the crisis, things are more urgent.

  6. Joe smith

    June 10, 2023 at 3:24 pm

    Just got my service charges.
    Added insurance line hotline, who asked for that not in lease and shouldn’t that be in insurance bill.

    In addition added management hotline charge shouldn’t that be in maintenance bill.

    Charging for smoke alarms we have none.

    Charging for cleaning have cleaned since they took over 10 years ago.

    Charging for emergency lighting. Wtf is that.

    Charging for guttering in addition to maintenance. Oh still haven’t fixed it

    Charging for entry system its broke.

    Decided they no longer need to send statements of expenditure anymore.

    Total crooks.

    Oh and this year they are now a member of ARMA.

    Everyone in this industry are crooks.

    Oh

    • Joesmith

      June 10, 2023 at 3:25 pm

      Spelling mistake i meant haven’t cleaned for 10 years, no kidding stairway is disgusting.

  7. Lorimer

    June 23, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    On 23rd of May you called on mr Gove to abolish Leasehold,
    Why not do it yourself Ms Nandy?
    Your party was in power for 13 years, after it promised to END Leasehold during the John Major era; It passed a useless Leasehold and Commonhold Act in 2002 instead;
    Every single MP -from any party – has the power to introduce a Bill in the Commons; People elect MP’s to pass laws and change their lives for the better,
    We elect MP’s to pass laws.
    Freeholders and ground rent investors are parasitic third parties.
    Leasehold Abolition is workable, possible, necessary, only fair and long overdue.

  8. John smith345

    June 28, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    It is about Tory and Labour. One promises to do abolish it. The other has shown even it’s limited reforms will not be implemented and is ideologically opposed.

    The Tories have shown they have no interest in solving this. Labour may be the same but until given the chance we wont know, but we do know with the Tories.

Above Footer

Advising leaseholders. Avoiding disasters.
Stopping forfeiture. Exposing abuses. Urging reform.

We depend on individuals for the majority of our funding.

Support Us and Donate

LKP Managing Agents

Become an LKP Managing Agent

Common Ground
Adam Church
Blocnet property management2

Stay in Touch

To achieve victory in the leasehold game where you are playing against professionals and with rules that they know all too well - stay informed with the LKP newsletter.
Sign Up for Newsletter

Professional Directory

The following advertisements are from firms that seek business from leaseholders.
Click on the logos for company profiles.

Barry Passmore

Footer

About LKP

  • What is LKP
  • Privacy and data

Categories

  • News
  • Cladding scandal
  • Commonhold
  • Law Commission
  • Fleecehold
  • Parliament
  • Press
  • APPG

Contact

Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
Open Data Institute
5th Floor
Kings Place
London N1 9AG

sok@leaseholdknowledge.com

Copyright © 2025 Leasehold Knowledge Partnership | All rights reserved
Leasehold Knowledge Partnership Limited (company number: 08999652) is a company limited by guarantee that is a registered charity (number: 1162584) with the Charities Commission.
LKP website is hosted at www.34sp.com
Website by Callia Web