On 26th May we sent an email to Housing Minister Grant Shapps (pictured) about media speculation surrounding the forthcoming emergency budget (see the article below dated 26 May).
Today we received a reply, not from Mr Shapps, but from his office. This is the reply we received, in full:
Dear Mr Kearns,
Thank you for your email of 26 May addressed to the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP.
As your ermail is about taxation, which is the policy remit of the Treasury, it has been passed to them to reply.
Yours sincerely
John Powell
Apart from the spelling mistakes the Minister and his office miss the point. We replied as follows:
John,
Thank you for your email. The reason for sending the email to Mr Shapps is that as Housing Minister I believe he needs to know how landlords are feeling about the media stories surrounding CGT. As I made clear in my email to Mr Shapps we work with a large number of landlords and agents throughout the UK and they are very concerned about what the media have said.
The NLA and RLA have made their members aware of the story but combined they only represent a relatively small percentage of the total landlord population. We do not believe that as an industry we have sufficient time to mount a considered and concerted reaction to present to the Treasury. We feel we need to ask Mr Shapps to make the point to the Treasury on behalf on over 1 million landlords who would be seriously penalised if the media stories are correct.
The previous Government mounted what was in effect a continuous attack on the private rented sector, it is vital that this new Government does not continue that attack and instead resolves to work with rather than against landlords. In addition to passing my email onto the Treasury can you please assure the landlords we work with that Mr Shapps will actively present their legitimate concerns to his colleagues who are preparing the emergency Budget?
I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Sean Kearns
Thank you for your email. The reason for sending the email to Mr Shapps is that as Housing Minister I believe he needs to know how landlords are feeling about the media stories surrounding CGT. As I made clear in my email to Mr Shapps we work with a large number of landlords and agents throughout the UK and they are very concerned about what the media have said.
The NLA and RLA have made their members aware of the story but combined they only represent a relatively small percentage of the total landlord population. We do not believe that as an industry we have sufficient time to mount a considered and concerted reaction to present to the Treasury. We feel we need to ask Mr Shapps to make the point to the Treasury on behalf on over 1 million landlords who would be seriously penalised if the media stories are correct.
The previous Government mounted what was in effect a continuous attack on the private rented sector, it is vital that this new Government does not continue that attack and instead resolves to work with rather than against landlords. In addition to passing my email onto the Treasury can you please assure the landlords we work with that Mr Shapps will actively present their legitimate concerns to his colleagues who are preparing the emergency Budget?
I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Sean Kearns
Time is running out before the emergency Budget, we will continue to pressure Mr Shapps into action. Any further correspondence will be posted on this News Blog.
