Former Brexit Minister and UK Chief Negotiator Lord Frost spoke at the National Conference on Conservatism. Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA
Michael Gove's rent reforms are “dangerous and counterproductive,” said Lord Frost, speaking out against the government's crackdown on homeowners.
Pare Tory used his speech at the National Conference on Conservatism to criticize the housing secretary's reform package that removes the right to evict tenants without proving any fault.
Lord Frost, who launched his bid over the weekend to become an MP as he was included in the the Conservative slate, said it reflected a trend of growing government interference in “every activity and every choice.”
“Let's not forget what that means. The endless intimidation, the constant assumption that the government has the right to dictate how you behave when it has socialized spending. A dangerous and counterproductive invasion of private property – as Michael Gove's bill of tenancy this morning will do [and] a seeming determination to eliminate risk from all aspects of daily life,” he said.
Lord Frost added that those who want to climb the corporate ladder and succeed in life “will not be conservatives if we only show that we care about those who have already succeeded.” . “We will not win the elections as a party of the complacent and eligible. We must be the party of opportunity and the party of the future.”
Calling on the UK to follow European countries including Germany and Hungary “by tearing down some of the monstrous buildings we have built in the last 50 years and rebuilding what we have lost”, Lord Frost suggested that this should be “the blueprint for this new Carolian century.” /p>
This comes after Mr Gove faced criticism from afar on Wednesday as the British Property Federation warned that his reforms could lead to more short-term rentals.
The rental market ' already suffering' ;
Ian Fletcher, group policy director, said: “By not setting a minimum lease term, the government is further at risk of fueling a booming short-term rental market, where vacation rentals are replacing much-needed permanent homes at a time when the rental market is already suffering from a significant supply shortage. '.
Sir John Redwood, who was head of Margaret Thatcher's No. 10 policy department, added: “When Parliament passes laws to stop unscrupulous landowners, he must also make sure he doesn't lose a lot of good in the process.” .
Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North, said: “Landlords are pulling out of the market and will continue to do so unless action is taken. Dispossessing landlords will only further encourage investors who buy to rent to give up their property and cause a further crisis in the housing sector.
“You will see how a huge number of landlords leave the market, this has been happening for several months. The government does not realize how dependent it is on private sector landlords. This property now being sold by landlords is beyond the reach of most tenants, so where are these people going to go?”
Defending the plans
Mr Gove defended the planned legislation he says the government is hoping for. get through parliament before the end of this year.
He told the BBC: “We also have homeowners on our side because the reputation of their sector depends to a large extent on their ability to say, as the vast majority can say. most that they care not only about their homes, but also for their tenants"
He also acknowledged that the government “could do better” in housing construction, but denied that the Tories had let the young people down. "Our population is growing, so we need to increase the number of houses we build overall" He said. "There are disputes not only about how much, but also where. We certainly need more houses, and we need to be careful where we place them."
Meanwhile, in Wednesday's speech, Lord Frost also shed further light on his resignation from Boris Johnson's cabinet in December 2021 due to the imposition of a number of Covid “Plan B” restrictions, including vaccine passports.
He said : “Actually, I found lockdowns to be a highly dehumanizing and disturbing period in life, although like many people, I struggle to find the exact words to articulate why.”
“But definitely part of the reason was that for most of this period it seemed that civil society simply disappeared. It was just the people, alone with the government, and the dubious concerns of our 'best in the world' National Health Service.'
Lord Frost admitted he was 'concerned' about the current state of Britain. attack the direction of Rishi Sunak's government.
“I cannot believe that the right way to restore the national cohesion of this country is through social democratic methods, through an intrusive state, through high government spending through direct investment … We already far advanced along this path.”
Recent Comments