Tories accused of ditching manifesto pledge to remove ground rents

The Conservatives have been accused of ditching their manifesto pledge to reduce ground rents to zero, after reports that Michael Gove is losing his battle to reform current leaseholds.

He told the Sun in February: “Before a general election I think what we can do is show that we will have passed into legislation, a lever, a rapid move to peppercorn or a stage-by-stage process whereby we get there.”

Angela Rayner, the shadow levelling-up secretary, said: “This latest dithering from the government on leasehold reform in the face of Tory infighting is yet another sign that Rishi Sunak is too weak to deliver for working people.

“Labour is committed to comprehensive leasehold reform, enacting the Law Commission’s recommendations on enfranchisement, commonhold and right to manage in full.”

The Guardian revealed in February that the bill’s provisions to stop developers selling new houses as leasehold properties contains loopholes that will allow them to continue doing so in certain circumstances.

The new clauses contain exemptions that allow developers to continue to sell new leasehold houses if they are part of a retirement village or where an existing lease has already been granted on the land, even if no property has yet to be built.