• THE government’s Building Safety Bill is a betrayal of leaseholders.

Legal advice commissioned by the Labour Party has said the legislation would make it “more certain” that leaseholders will have to bear the costs of remediation works because the bill would make it likely that payment for works will be included in service charges.

Thousands of lives are on hold, including those of leaseholders in Westminster. People are unable to have children, to retire or to get a full night’s sleep.

Leaseholders were promised time and again that the Building Safety Bill would be their way out, but the government has made their situation worse, not better.

People living in 18metre-plus or “higher risk” buildings will be subject to a new “building safety charge” to cover expenses such as the cost of an “accountable person” or building safety manager.

The powers in the bill to enable leaseholders to sue developers will, according to the legal advice commissioned by Labour, remain an “uncertain, expensive and risky” process. Labour’s priority is getting homeowners out of this fix.

Labour MPs, including Karen Buck, have repeatedly urged ministers to protect leaseholders from remediation costs and instead pursue those responsible for the cladding safety crisis.

The government must end this misery and protect leaseholders affected by the cladding crisis.

CLLR PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Labour City Management Spokesperson