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Government accused of broken promises as MPs vote down fire safety amendment for second time
Leaseholders have accused the government of reneging on its commitment to protect leaseholders from fire safety costs after MPs voted down an amendment to do so last night.
An amendment to the Fire Safety Bill that would stop leaseholders paying for fire safety remediation was voted down by MPs 322 to 253 on Monday night. It is the second time the amendment has been rejected in the House of Commons after the Lords voted to send the amendment back to MPs last week.
The margin of defeat narrowed slightly, from 115 to 69, but leaseholders voiced their anger at the most recent defeat, warning that leaseholders face paying “ruinous costs to fix a scandal not of their making”. The amendment will now go back to the House of Lords.
Paul Afshar, of the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign, said: “Ministers and two prime ministers have promised countless times that leaseholders should not pay for shoddy construction work, corporate malfeasance and botched government interventions. This evening they broke that promise by voting against an amendment that would protect us in law.
“They failed to listen to common sense and the moral arguments set out by the Lords. We are disappointed – and we are angry.”
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Speaking at the debate, housing minister Christopher Pincher said that “despite the best intentions” of the Lords, the amendments “are unworkable and impractical”.
“They would make the legislation less clear, and they do not reflect the complexity involved in apportioning liability for remedial defects.”
The vote follows a package of measures from government, announced in February, to fix fire safety issues including an extra £3.5bn for high-rise buildings and a low-interest loan scheme for properties under 18m. But leaseholders and campaigners argue this does not go far enough and falls short of the government’s promise to protect leaseholders from footing fire safety bills.
Mr Afshar said: “Politicians across the political divide, including many Tory MPs, have recognised the devastating effect this crisis is having on millions of people across the UK and today they voted to help us. We are truly grateful for this. They recognise how this scandal is pushing many to the brink – financially and mentally – as well as paralysing huge chunks of the housing market.”
Shadow policing and fire service minister Sarah Jones said: “This was another chance for the government to allow people up and down the country to sleep at night knowing they would be protected in law from fire safety costs they did not cause.
“Instead, the government has once again broken its promise to protect leaseholders, and it is blameless people who will pay the price.”
