News

Original reporting and the latest political headlines from across the UK.

Our Articles

Mainstream Headlines

Filtering by:Tag: housing×Source: The Guardian Politics×Clear all

123 headlines found — Page 2 of 11

The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Senior UK ministers deride Rachel Reeves’s reported plan of year-long rent freeze

Housing secretary and housing minister latest to criticise idea, which has also been ruled out by No 10 Senior ministers have poured scorn on the idea of freezing private sector rents for a year, less than 48 hours after the Guardian revealed Rachel Reeves was considering it. Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, became the latest government figures to criticise the idea, which has since been ruled out by No 10. Continue reading...

Housing
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Leasehold ban in England and Wales unlikely before next general election, minister says

Matthew Pennycook says ending system must be done slowly to avoid hitting housing supply and legal pitfalls A ban on new leasehold properties in England and Wales is unlikely to come into force until after the next election, the housing minister has said, as he defended the government’s piecemeal attempts to dismantle the system. The long-promised end would take years to “switch on”, Matthew Pennycook said, even though the ban of leaseholds on new houses was passed in 2024 and the government int

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves’s tax shake-up: time to plan ahead, from Isas to self-assessment

The chancellor’s changes will come into force in April 2027, affecting everyone from savers to landlords and sole traders. Experts say to act now Millions of people will be affected by a range of savings, investment and tax changes that take effect in just under a year’s time. “April 2027 may feel some way off, but when it comes to financial planning, a year is not a long time,” says Jason Hollands at the wealth management firm Evelyn Partners. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomyHousing
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Earlier specialised care could prevent 10,000 miscarriages a year, UK study finds

Charity says starting specialised care after first miscarriage instead of third reduces risk of future losses Giving women access to specialised care after their first miscarriage could prevent about 10,000 pregnancy losses a year across the UK, according to a study. Currently, women in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for specialist care on the NHS for early baby losses after they have had a minimum of three miscarriages. Continue reading...

HousingHealthcare
The Guardian Politics28 Apr 2026

No 10 dismisses Reeves’s reported plan for freeze on private rents

Downing Street says focus to remains on cutting bills, backing renters and lowering energy prices Downing Street has dismissed a freeze on private sector rents even as Rachel Reeves left the door open to the idea, after the Guardian revealed the chancellor has been considering it as an option to cut the cost of living. A No 10 spokesperson said on Tuesday freezing private sector rents was “not the approach we will be taking” after sources told the Guardian it was Reeves’s preferred solution for

PoliticsEconomyHousing
The Guardian Politics28 Apr 2026

Shares in buy-to-let mortgage lenders fall after report Reeves plans rent freeze

FTSE 250 firms Paragon and OSB Group, owner of Kent Reliance and Precise Mortgages, slide on London Stock Exchange Rachel Reeves considering rent freeze to limit Iran war fallout Business live – latest updates Shares in some of the UK’s biggest buy-to-let lenders such as Paragon and One Savings Bank have fallen after it emerged that the chancellor may make private landlords commit to a one-year rent freeze. In an effort to protect households from rising living costs as a result of the Iran wa

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves considering rent freeze to limit Iran war fallout

Exclusive: Sources say chancellor is examining exceptional measures to protect household budgets Rachel Reeves is considering imposing a one-year rent freeze on private sector homes amid growing alarm in government about the impact of the Iran war on voters’ budgets. Landlords in England would be banned from raising rents for a limited period of time under the proposals, which are being debated within government as part of a major cost of living package to be launched in the coming weeks. Conti

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

What the parties promise Welsh voters on the NHS, schools, childcare and tax

Labour, Plaid Cymru, Reform, the Greens, the Tories and the Lib Dems set out competing plans but offer little detail on how they would pay for them The parties most likely to win the Senedd election next month offer radically different futures for Wales, but all six are facing criticism for not being “upfront” in their manifestos about the fiscal challenges the next Welsh government will face. Labour, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK, the Green party, the Conservative party, and the Liberal Democrats are

PoliticsEconomyEducationEnvironmentReformHousingHealthcare
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Free bus travel to first-homes fund: what Scottish parties are promising on the campaign trail

Advent of Reform has radically altered the dynamics of the campaign and parties are responding accordingly Polls predict a gravity-defying fifth term at Holyrood for the Scottish National party – albeit on a much reduced vote share – but the advent of Reform UK has radically altered the dynamics of the election campaign. The manifesto pledges set out below reveal how established parties are responding, however, a lack of engagement with an estimated £5bn hole in Scottish government finances by t

PoliticsReformHousing
The Guardian Politics25 Apr 2026

Key figure in Mandelson vetting scandal will not give evidence before MPs

Chief property and security officer Ian Collard set to submit written answers to foreign affairs committee questions A key figure in the row over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington will not appear before a parliamentary committee of MPs to give evidence. Dame Emily Thornberry had requested that Ian Collard speak to the foreign affairs committee (FAC) on Tuesday, but confirmed on Saturday that he would submit written answers instead. Whether he felt under pressure to del

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

The Guardian view on help to buy: entrenching housing inequalities, rather than helping | Editorial

The Tories’ flagship scheme has aided higher earners most. The latest analysis of its flaws should lead to a rethink The results are in. The biggest winners from the Conservatives’ help to buy scheme were high-earners who were already likely to buy a house. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examined who benefited from the policy, and concluded that the top 10% of earners received the largest cash benefit. Rather than helping people to buy, it more likely helped the already fortunate to accu

EconomyHousing
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

Five things we learned from Cat Little’s evidence to MPs about the Mandelson saga

Top civil servant reveals more details of vetting process and lack of paper trail for approval of Mandelson’s appointment UK politics live – latest updates In more than 90 minutes of evidence to the foreign affairs select committee about the Peter Mandelson scandal, Cat Little, the head civil servant in the Cabinet Office, was low key and often cautious. But she did reveal several pieces of new information – or at times information different to that given to the same committee by Olly Robbi

PoliticsHousing