Yes, in my opinion.

@eocs-official.bsky.socialThis morning is the Fire Committee at City Hall.

I'm going to be asking questions about remediation and the dire state of the cladding scandal (see: @eocs-official.bsky.social.)

I'll also be asking about Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for people with disabilities.

@MatthewPennycookMP.bsky.social Why are leaseholders, who don't own property paying stamp duty? Why are freeholding property owners not paying? Time to stop tax system burdening those already facing huge challenges of leasehold. #FreeLeaseholders

What a joy to read this, congratulations to all involved. I fully agree:

“a case study of the unfolding experience of a disaster response, exhibitions like ours can be excellent devices for the education of emergency responders.” #FreeLeaseholders

How we make history together – Exhibiting the local aftermath of Grenfell Having documented the community response after the Grenfell Tower fire, Flora Cornish and Cathy Long recently hosted an interactive exhibition in the local area. They suggest how the collaborative …

"why are there still no answers?"

One of the more meaningful things I did workwise in 2024 was to co-host an exhibition of the local response to Grenfell, in graffiti and a timeline, with Cathy Long. We reflect on it here:
blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

How we make history together – Exhibiting the local aftermath of Grenfell Having documented the community response after the Grenfell Tower fire, Flora Cornish and Cathy Long recently hosted an interactive exhibition in the local area. They suggest how the collaborative …

💥New: Documenting the community response after the Grenfell Tower fire, @floracornish.bsky.social & Cathy Long suggest how the collaborative creation of archives can support local sense-making post-disaster & preparation for future crises.

#CoProduction #Grenfell blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

“Actions & real outcomes"? Leaseholders are still waiting. Tories failed but Labour sneakily released Written Statement of delays is a bigger fail. Months in power & all we’ve seen is delay & excuses. LH reform needs action NOW, not meetings or death by consultation. Walk the walk!
@FreeLeaseholders

It’s folly to think re-posting same empty platitudes on different platform would get different reaction. Leaseholders reject meaningless empty spin & glorying self-serving photo opportunities. Sneaking out statement to kill progress by consultation isn’t “positive”— it’s betrayal. @FreeLeaseholders

A “really positive meeting” means little when followed by a sneaky written statement announcing death by consultation. Leaseholders deserve transparency & action, not empty reassurances. Where’s the timeline? Where’s the urgency? @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
Stop stalling & start delivering.

'Property firm upped cancer patient's charge by nearly £1,000' This is the claim of Swansea MP Torsten Bell who was one of a number of politicians who called the MD of FirstPort to Parliament to answer questions over the company's 'shoddy behaviour'

"Leaseholders in Swansea have seen service charges rocket at the hands of mis-management agents like FirstPort.They deserve a better deal-which is why I’ve told FP that we’ve had enough of shoddy behaviour"

NOT JUST SWANSEA
NOT JUST FIRSTPORT
#LeaseholdScandal

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Thinking of buying? Avoid leasehold. It’s unsafe prison of rising service charges, escalating ground rents, loss control over home & life. You even have to buy permission for pet & pay huge costs to extend lease. You’ll be trapped unable to sell paying endlessly without ownership.
#FreeLesseholders

While it's important to fix broken escalators at Cutty Sark DLR, why are you still ignoring much bigger issue of leasehold? The system is broken leaving thousands of people stuck with rising costs and no control over their homes. @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
Time to focus on abolishing leasehold

I completed it, I resented it as there always seems just another one to do, it took me far too long, i had to find all the info again, I am not sure they actually work. But if I don’t keep doing them I gift freeholders a free pass & I want my freedom back. Please make the effort.
#FreeLeaseholders

Public Accounts Committee Inquiry: The Remediation of Dangerous Cladding - End Our Cladding Scandal The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has opened an inquiry into the remediation of dangerous cladding. As part of this Inquiry, you are invited to submit evidence for the Committee to consider.

📢 The Public Accounts Committee has opened an inquiry into the remediation of dangerous cladding.

It's critical that leaseholders send written evidence to the inquiry. Do not rely on others.

We've prepared a short guide 👇

❗ DEADLINE is 20 January

endourcladdingscandal.org/building-saf...

✅ The @londonassembly.bsky.social Fire Committee will discuss remediation next week.

❗We've seen an increase in the number of buildings contacting us because a waking watch is being introduced as a result of enforcement.

❌ London leaseholders continue to pay for the building safety crisis 💸

Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

MHCLG says:

'Our research to date demonstrates sufficient assessor capacity to meet expected demand, though with some local supply pinch points.'

I suspect the "local supply pinch points" include small places like London.

questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

I used to have FP as my building manager.
Words cannot describe how bad they were.
Thankfully we did RTM so sacked them.
No matter how attractive a property looks, never ever buy it if FP is involved.
#LeaseholdScandal

If you want to know how housing associations work, this is a good summary 👇

Public Accounts Committee Inquiry: The Remediation of Dangerous Cladding - End Our Cladding Scandal The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has opened an inquiry into the remediation of dangerous cladding. As part of this Inquiry, you are invited to submit evidence for the Committee to consider.

Public Accounts Committee Inquiry: The Remediation of Dangerous Cladding.

The deadline for submitting your evidence is 11.59pm on Monday 20th January.

#BuildingSafetyCrisis #EOCS
#Leasehold #Trapped
endourcladdingscandal.org/building-saf...

Done.

7 years after Grenfell, promise 'those responsible would pay' remains unfulfilled. Instead leaseholders left to shoulder costs while guilty just shrug & walk away. Justice delayed is justice denied. Hold guilty accountable, no more broken promises. @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
#FreeLeaseholders

Exclusive: The Ghosts of Grenfell: No penalties for UK firms that used deadly building material When the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze in 2017 led to revelations that high-rise public housing buildings across Britain were wrapped in flammable cladding, the government vowed the building contractors responsible would pay for their negligence.

When the Grenfell Tower blaze led to revelations that high-rise public housing across Britain were wrapped in flammable cladding, the government vowed those responsible would pay. Seven years on, the companies have largely escaped financial liability reut.rs/3BY7wYa

It’s unacceptable for gov to expect leaseholders to become serial litigators. Legal action is costly, stressful & inefficient. The innocent shouldn’t bear burden of fixing a crisis caused by developers & poor regulation. Hold those responsible to account instead.
#FreeLeaseholders

Really? I'll believe that when it happens.

Cannot come soon enough Matthew. Need Right to Manage changes asap, really the onus should be on managing agents to show charges are reasonable, not leaseholders having to show they are unreasonable. Also need all in a block to be able to vote on the agent each year, even if no RTM co.

Thank you. Despite repeated requests for a meeting to discuss last years service charge review, our housing association keeps ‘passing it on’ to the relevant department without follow-up. Usually it’s then ‘too late’ to change it.

More accountability and transparency would make a huge difference.

You could throw mandatory licensing for managing agents in there as well.

I agree. There is a problem in the wider market around transparency but wonder if issues around insurance and energy costs are just as problematic if not more. They need some attention from the Government.

This is appreciated - but 2/3 of my service charge bill comprises building insurance and communal energy costs (which are not subject to the Ofgem price cap, despite being 100% residential block) - I just can’t see how transparency here will help? What is the Government doing on building ins.?

What reasoning?

"The party is still committed to getting rid of the system, but those working on the policy believe they need more time to enact such a radical measure after the Tories watered down their own promises on reform."

What have the Tories' flaccid reforms got to do with anything?