Concern over Rental White Paper after latest political resignation

The resignation of Labour’s First Minister of Wales has raised alarm with Propertymark.

Vaughan Gething quit yesterday after the Welsh Housing Secretary and several other Cabinet ministers quit in protest at a donation to Gething’s leadership campaign earlier this year, and his links with an environmental business.

Tim Thomas, policy and campaigns officer at Propertymark, says: “The housing sector in Wales faces key challenges and property agents need to see stable leadership to help meet these head on and implement planned reforms.

“The process for appointing Vaughan Gething as First Minister in March has already delayed the Welsh Government’s proposed white paper on fair rents and adequate housing from the summer to the autumn. 

“This instability should not be allowed to continue - Welsh Labour must appoint a new leader quickly to guarantee consistency and give confidence to property professionals, renters, landlords and home buyers and sellers. 

“Ultimately, the new First Minister should use their appointment as a fresh opportunity to stop any chance of rent control measures becoming a reality, review all costs and taxes impacting private landlords to tackle the supply and demand crunch in the private rented sector, continue to engage with property professionals to improve building safety across Wales and extend Help to Buy to the second-hand housing market in order to boost home ownership.”