Share this page!

Liam Spender Profile picture
Twitter logo
6 May, 4 tweets, 2 min read
1/4 #EndOurCladdingScandal @Barrattplc reports this morning that it will pay a £76.3 million dividend for the half year (bit.ly/2R1Hls2). That is nearly half the £200 million a year the government proposed to raise from its new Developer Levy. Half. From one developer.
2/4 The trading statement also reports a £163 million total hit to the bottom line from cladding & legacy issues. Around £100 million of that appears to relate purely to defective concrete frames in buildings like Citiscape.
3/4 The government can and should go much further with the paltry Developer Levy. It should also reform the law to make it easier to hold developers to account. None of the people involved in the current mess will learn anything unless there are consequences for actions.
4/4 Please think about that if you’ve not voted yet. Polls close at 10 p.m. this evening. It is #NotJustCladding. It is time to #EndOurCladdingScandal.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Liam Spender

Liam Spender Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @LiamSpender

Liam Spender Profile picture
7 May
1/5 A win for leaseholders in the Court of Appeal. The Court held that the landlord paying for a leaseholder expert to consider whether major works can be done more cheaply is a permissible condition of granting dispensation from consultation.
2/5 Where works cost more than £250 per leaseholder or involve certain types of contracts the landlord is obliged to consult leaseholders. However this process can be bypassed by landlord application to the First-Tier Tribunal.
3/5 It has become custom since a 2013 Supreme Court decision that dispensation from consultation is granted on the condition that the landlord pays its own application costs. Here the leaseholders persuaded the Tribunal to add the extra condition of also paying for their expert.
Read 5 tweets
Liam Spender Profile picture
7 May
1/15 A visceral image of fire at ACM-clad New Providence Wharf in London.

I hope everyone is alright and that the damage to people's homes is not extensive.

Some thoughts below on the govt's inevitable spin in response to this fire.

#NotJustCladding #EndOurCladdingScandal
2/15 First and foremost, this is a failure of government. It has had nearly 4 years to identify and remedy buildings at risk.

It has failed to do so, instead preferring to push the problem onto anyone except itself and then standing idly by whilst others did the same.
3/15 Freeholders do not do the right thing. The freehold to this building is still owned by the developer, Ballymore.

Ballymore has not offered any meaningful contribution to the vast costs of removing cladding, instead dumping the costs on the taxpayer and its leaseholders
Read 15 tweets
Liam Spender Profile picture
28 Apr
1/5 #FireSafetyBill reaches the end game.

@LordRoyKennedy has put down a motion that the Lords insists on keeping the amendment thrown out by the Commons earlier today.

That sets up a "double insistence" because it is the second time the Lords has offered the same amendment.
2/5 Neither House can insist on the same amendment twice.

If the Lords passes this motion and the Commons again rejects the amendment later today or tomorrow then the #FireSafetyBill will be lost.

Rule explained here: erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/5541/d…
3/5 If @LordRoyKennedy motion does go to a vote and is passed, it forces the gov't to choose between losing the bill or compromising to protect leaseholders.

This underlines how deeply the Lords feels on this issue. It is extremely rare for their to be double insistence.
Read 5 tweets
Liam Spender Profile picture
28 Apr
@nbdbuk #FireSafetyBill: Commons is just concluding the item before the bill on the agenda. MPs are asking questions regarding the UK's aid for India to help it cope with its coronavirus outbreak.
@nbdbuk #FireSafetyBill once this item is over the House of Commons will start to consider the bill. Debate will last no more than 1 hour.
@nbdbuk #FireSafetyBill expect the government to try to knock out the amendment added by @LordRoyKennedy in the Lords last night.

Anything less than a majority of 145 for the government on that vote shows a rebellion. Key test is whether number of rebels holds up.
Read 189 tweets
Liam Spender Profile picture
28 Apr
1/6 Many thanks to @LKPleasehold for publishing my write up of Commons and Lords proceedings on #FireSafetyBill yesterday.

There were some encouraging signs yesterday, which I summarise in this thread.

There's still a chance for the gov't to see sense and change track today.
2/6 Yesterday's positives were:

1. The Commons rebellion among Conservative backbenchers held strong.

2. The Lords voted by a large majority to protect leaseholders.

3. Gov't indicated it would bring forward a ban on forfeiture & extend limitation periods for building defects
3/6 The forfeiture and limitation reforms have been long advocated by leasehold campaigners, including @LKPleasehold and @PBottomleyMP and @NLC_2019.

They are not to be sniffed at, assuming the government keeps its promises.

But they are not nearly enough.
Read 6 tweets
Liam Spender Profile picture
27 Apr
@nbdbuk #FireSafetyBill thanks to @nbdbuk and the team of volunteers supporting the thread today.

Commons is just starting on the item before (a measure to reduce tool theft).

There's a short break after this item and then we will be on to the Fire Safety Bill, around 2.30 p.m.
@nbdbuk In terms of what to expect today on #FireSafetyBill government will try to knock out the @BishopStAlbans amendment added in the Lords last week.

It may offer a concession to avoid another rebellion. Last time 33 Conservatives rebelled against their party.
@nbdbuk @BishopStAlbans The bill will then go back to the House of Lords around 4.40 this afternoon. The Lords will have 3 choices. It can either give-up, add a completely new amendment, or try a revised version of @BishopStAlbans amendment.
Read 196 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @LiamSpender has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @LiamSpender!

Read all threads by @LiamSpender

:(