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Morning Briefing: stamp duty reforms ‘help 4,000 a week’
Stamp duty cuts announced in the Autumn Budget are helping 4,000 first-time buyers a week, Theresa May has claimed
In the news
The prime minister has said 16,000 people have already saved money on their stamp duty since the changes were unveiled in November, reports The Telegraph and others.
First-time buyers will pay no stamp duty on homes worth up to £300,000, or on the first £300,000 of those worth up to £500,000.
Ms May said she has made it her “personal mission” to “restore the dream of homeownership” for people around the UK.
But Labour said cutting stamp duty without an increase in affordable housebuilding “will only drive up prices”.
Elsewhere, Channel 4 News has interviewed former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson about social housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Mr Johnson grew up in North Kensington, near to where the tower was later built.
And finally, The Guardian runs an opinion piece by James Gregory, an academic at the University of Birmingham. Mr Gregory says the government should end its focus on boosting homeownership, pointing to research by his team that shows social renters are just as happy as owner-occupiers.
On social media
Twitter users have been paying tribute to former Chartered Institute of Housing London chair Brian Queen, who passed away before Christmas:
Tributes to our former @CIHLondon Chair Brian Queen who sadly passed away before Christmas - a great supporter of CIH #ukhousing
— Rebecca Clarke CIHM (@rebeccac_CIH)Tributes to our former @CIHLondon Chair Brian Queen who sadly passed away before Christmas - a great supporter of CIH #ukhousing
— Rebecca Clarke CIHM (@rebeccac_CIH) January 2, 2018
So sorry to hear this news, was very fond of Brian during my time on @CIHhousing Council RIP t.co/yFv1PyV9wj
— Paul Roberts (@Tregolwyn)So sorry to hear this news, was very fond of Brian during my time on @CIHhousing Council RIP https://t.co/yFv1PyV9wj
— Paul Roberts (@Tregolwyn) January 2, 2018
We sadly say goodbye to Housing Royalty today. It’s the funeral of Brian Queen, staunch supporter of @CIHhousing ex Chair of @CIHLondon. A well respected Housing professional. Years ago there was even a @insidehousing interview! Social housing will be poorer for his absence. RIP
— Jan Taranczuk (@Jantaran)We sadly say goodbye to Housing Royalty today. It's the funeral of Brian Queen, staunch supporter of @CIHhousing ex Chair of @CIHLondon. A well respected Housing professional. Years ago there was even a @insidehousing interview! Social housing will be poorer for his absence. RIP
— Jan Taranczuk (@Jantaran) December 19, 2017
