Tory conference reveals shocking extent of anti-landlord views within party

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Leading landlord figures squared up to Tory MPs at the inaugural Conservative Tenants and Landlords Forum during the party conference.

The NRLA’s Ben Beadle and Property Tribes’ Vanessa Warwick fought the sector’s corner at the meeting which aimed to discuss how to reform the rented sector with “win-win outcomes”.

Warwick tells LandlordZONE that MPs Natalie Elphicke and James Cartlidge were both anti-landlord and that Cartlidge claimed he had suggested drafting the Section 24 tax regime and increased stamp duty for second homeowners – policies which were taken up by then chancellor George Osborne.

“Cartlidge clearly didn’t understand that there is a massive shortage of landlords,” she says. “He wanted the PRS to shrink.”

Leverage

The MP also said landlords should not be able to use leverage to grow portfolios and that repayment mortgages would stop the growth of buy-to-let.

This anti-landlord rhetoric seems to have been a common theme at the Birmingham event, where Beadle has spoken about Michael Gove declaring that the PRS needs to shrink further.

Disconnect

Warwick told the fringe meeting that there was a massive disconnect between central and local government, with Whitehall trying to deter investors but local authorities desperate for landlords and even offering them golden hellos.

And while Cartlidge spoke about increasing social housing, the NRLA’s Beadle demanded to know what was happening in the short-term. He adds: “This government wants to turn Generation Rent into Generation Buy, but they have no idea of how to achieve that.”

Conservative rental market campaigner Tim Patmore set up the forum and aims to hold another event in November.

Pic (LtoR): Vanessa Warwick, Ben Beadle, James Cartlidge, Natalie Elphicke

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