Housing Secretary Michael Gove has conceded there “simply aren’t enough homes” in Britain as he said the Prime Minister had commissioned him to work on policies to help first-time buyers. Mr Gove also appeared to confirm suggestions that his pledge to abolish leaseholds entirely will be watered down.
Speaking to the National Conservatism conference on Tuesday, Mr Gove said Rishi Sunak had tasked him with addressing the issues faced by first-time buyers, with housing expected to be a major issue at next year’s general election. Across Britain, the average asking price for a first-time buyer type property currently sits at a record of £224,963, according to data shared earlier this month by property website Rightmove.
Cabinet minister Mr Gove said: “There is a problem and the problem is there simply aren’t enough homes in this country. It is increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder.”
