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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent

Housing is many UK voters’ priority but rental system remains unfixed

Residential properties in London
Residential properties in London, where average montly rents have risen by £207 over the past year. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Andy Leek’s escape to Argentina from Britain’s soaring rents is no doubt extreme. But the fact that this relatively successful artist feels he is better off paying transatlantic air fares than stumping up for ever-rising landlord demands is indicative of a crisis that only ever seems to get worse.

Polls show 23% of voters now rank housing as the most important issue facing the country, up from 14% at the December 2019 general election. More people now rate it as the priority than crime or the environment, according to YouGov. Yet little is done.

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