London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

New housing secretary Michael Gove urged to fix building safety crisis

New housing secretary Michael Gove urged to fix building safety crisis

Iain Duncan Smith joins Westminster rally of homeowners trapped in unsellable and dangerous homes
The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith launched a new wave of backbench pressure on the government to solve the building safety crisis, leading a rally of affected leaseholders into a chant outside parliament of: “Michael Gove, we want justice!”

Hundreds of homeowners trapped in unsellable and dangerous homes and facing remediation bills of up to £200,000 each gathered in Westminster on Thursday to press the government to legislate to protect them from post-Grenfell fire safety works.

Duncan Smith, who with other Conservative backbenchers is preparing to mount a fresh rebellion against the government’s building safety bill, told them: “The developers have got away scot-free. There is no question leaseholders should have to pick up the bill when the cladding was illegal at the time.”

The protest saw affected leaseholders from Ipswich, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and London descend on Parliament Square amid optimism from campaigners that more Conservative MPs could join 32 who have already voted against the government’s refusal to cover costs that have been estimated at £15bn. The government has earmarked £5bn to pay for the removal of combustible cladding on buildings over 18 metres, but is only offering loans on shorter buildings and won’t pay for other fire safety defects, which have emerged in thousands of blocks.

The crowd included a mother who has been diagnosed with PTSD after the building housing her shared-ownership flat in east London was discovered to be wrapped in combustible cladding and she faced a £85,000 bill.

Her husband, Sam Musguin-Rowe, 32, said: “It makes me feel like I am a bad father that every night I put my daughter to bed in a building that could catch fire at any moment. Please [Michael Gove], I implore you to make this right for leaseholders and end this torture.”

A family facing a £100,000 bill in a different building described how they live with a bag packed in case they need to flee a fire. “[Gove] needs to put himself in our position,” said Antonella Montresori, 52, a computer programmer and mother of two. “We feel like prisoners and we need to get out.”

Attempts by ministers to persuade freeholders and property developers to pay for the defects have had only limited success, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in financial limbo, and many suffering mental health problems.

Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West, told the crowd: “Michael Gove, can you hear us? Stop the spivs, stop the opportunists, challenge the investors, end the exploitation of you who are stuck in the rotten leasehold system.”

Tackling the building safety crisis that continues to spread more than four years after the Grenfell Tower fire is set to be one of Gove’s first challenges. The government has published a building safety bill that so far does not commit to preventing homeowners from paying to fix defective works that were not their fault. Stephen McPartland MP told the rally he would table amendments to protect them when it goes through parliament in the coming months.

Will Martin, who lives in the affected Metis building in Sheffield, described “suffering in torture when you lie awake at night and can’t sleep” and asked Gove to “hear our cries and understand the pain and suffering we are going through”.

The rally attracted cross-party support. Labour MP Justin Madders described the crisis as “one of the biggest systematic rip-offs this country has ever seen” and “an industrial-sized scam”.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said there were 8,000 high-rise residential blocks in London and said the crisis was rooted in the “broken” system of leasehold.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×