Cladding Crisis: Labour to force vote to protect millions of leaseholders

28 January 2021, 09:42 | Updated: 28 January 2021, 10:10

Cladding Crisis: Labour will force vote on Monday to help leaseholders

By EJ Ward

@EJWardNews

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has told LBC exclusively on Call Keir he will force a vote next week to help those impacted by the cladding crisis.

Sir Keir was speaking during one of his regular Call Keir slots when he answers questions from LBC listeners.

He revealed on Monday Labour will force a vote to protect millions of leaseholders impacted by cladding scandal.

Many are people who can't sell their homes without what's known as EWS1 "External Wall" form, the rest are people whose buildings have failed that form due to dangerous cladding, and now find themselves living in expensive fire-traps.

The news comes after caller Giles from Manchester asked what the Labour leader was doing to help protect leaseholders who are suffering as a result of Grenfell style cladding.

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The Labour leader revealed to LBC he is set to bring a vote on Monday to force government action on the cladding scandal and protect millions of leaseholders from life-changing cladding costs and unsellable properties.

The Labour motion will call on the Government to: "urgently establish the extent of dangerous cladding and prioritise buildings according to risk;"

"Provide upfront funding to ensure cladding remediation can start immediately;"

And "protect leaseholders and taxpayers from the cost by pursuing those responsible for the cladding crisis."

Cladding Crisis: Housing Secretary on tackling issue over 2021

Branding the situation "intolerable" Sir Keir said he was looking for "practical issues to move this on."

Watch Again: Call Keir - Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer answers your questions

Cladding crisis: Robert Jenrick pledges to support homeowners

"We are going to put it down for voting, I hope the Government doesn't vote against us," Sir Keir said.

The Labour leader said the issue was raised on Call Keir two or three months ago "and still nothing has been done."

In December the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told LBC he was confident significant progress will be made in resolving the Cladding Crisis.

As LBC reported previously £12 million is being spent every month in London on fire wardens patrolling buildings with fire safety issues like dangerous cladding.

LBC has been exposing the latest developments in the cladding scandal, which has left up to three million of you living in 'worthless' flats. We want to hear your stories, email cladding@lbc.co.uk