18 COMMENT
POLITICAL AIMS HIT TURBULENCE
Brian Berry
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) wonders whether the UK’s current political turmoil will halt the ‘levelling up’ ambitions.
T
ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY IS SETTING IN AND THE PLANS FOR LEVELLING UP ARE LIKELY TO STAGNATE
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he constant political turbulence over the last few years continues in earnest with a government on its way out and a drawn-out leadership contest underway. It will be some time until certainty is restored. None of this leaves small, local housebuilders in a positive place. Economic uncertainty is setting in and plans for levelling up and housebuilding are likely to stagnate under an interim government.
It’s clear for the next few months at least that we’ll see little input to support the sector, but will the new Government hit the ground running and what will they need to do to support my members?
TAKING STOCK
Given the recent rumblings in Westminster, I thought now was the perfect time to take stock of what I laid out as my wish list in my fi rst article of this year. I called it a year of
great potential’! Looking at it now, it hasn’t been an easy six months by any means, and it continues an unfortunate trend of political turbulence that we are struggling to shake off. Therefore, where do we stand now, with infl ation still high construction materials at eye watering prices, and skill shortages plaguing small, local builders.
So, is this still a year of great potential? It could still be, but that’s the optimist in me. I had hoped to see ambitious planning reforms, a fully-fl edged levelling up agenda and comprehensive skills plan. Some of this has come to pass, albeit limited. Unfortunately, even though the ambitions in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) were high, the output has been cautious. My members, local housebuilders, were set to gain from levelling up, as were the communities they work in. However, will the next Government pick up
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