Rachel Reeves slammed by Kirstie Allsopp over Labour 'ignoring easy fix'

Property guru Kirstie Allsopp has slammed Rachel Reeves for "ignoring an easy fix" which could help fix the housing crisis.

Chancellor Ms Reeves has vowed to take "difficult decisions" because there is "no time to waste" with boosting growth and rapidly increasing housebuilding in an attempt to enable more people to step onto the property ladder.

She revealed the Labour Party would re-introduce mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities, with the Labour manifesto also committing to wholesale planning reforms to make it easier for developers to build.

But TV star Ms Allsopp has taken a swipe at the plans saying that a simple "tweek" to the current property transaction system could get things moving more quickly, get downsizers into homes more quickly, and free up desperately needed homes.

She wrote on social media platform X: "If the Government took an interest in our broken property transaction system, more people would be able to move and importantly downsize, and homes would be freed up.

"@RachelReevesMP This is such an easy fix. #Isanyonelistening."

When questioned about what exactly she was proposing, Ms Allsopp clarified a simple "tweek" was needed, “forcing solicitors to disclose what progress they have made with a traffic light system."

It’s not the first time Ms Allsopp has let her thoughts be known on Labour’s plans to turbocharge housebuilding - believing that freeing up existing housing stock is also crucial to fixing the property market.

In a separate tweet earlier this month, she said: "Please can someone tell @RachelReevesMP that a really easy win for mobility and productivity is to make it A: Easier to move by tweeting our system and B: Making downsizing an attractive proposition. We need to build yes, but we also need to better utilise our existing housing stock."

Meanwhile, King Charles will arrive in Parliament later this morning in full regalia as Keir Starmer’s Government begins the process of turning its winning General Election manifesto into law.

It’s a key moment in the country’s constitution for the Government to introduce new laws to parliament, which will then be debated over the course of six to nine months before passing into law.

Labour’s manifesto contained dozens of policies, and it’s thought today will see the introduction of up to 25 new Bills to the Commons - with predictions including that they will lower the voting age to 16 and introduce VAT on private school fees.