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Workmen remove the cladding from the facade of a block of flats in Paddington, north London
THE government’s new two-tier system for funding the removal of flammable cladding from people’s homes was criticised as “shameful” and “divisive” after it was announced today.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Commons that leaseholders in tower blocks over 18 metres high — above six storeys — will face no costs for cladding removal.
Those in low and medium-rise blocks however will not be covered and face being forced onto a government loan scheme instead, with ongoing payments of up to £50 per month.
Once derided by Farage as a ‘fraud,’ Jenrick has defected to Reform, bringing experience and political ruthlessness to the populist right — and raising the unsettling prospect of a Farage-led movement with a seasoned operative pulling the strings, says ANDREW MURRAY
