Conference Diary 2026 – Conservatives
Our Chief Executive Ben Beadle was at Conservative Party Conference this week. Here’s his take on the events in Birmingham.
The Conservatives arrived in Birmingham in a buoyant mood, despite being stuck at around 20% in the polls, lower than when Kemi Badenoch became leader two years ago. Given speculation that there will be an early election (a draft Conservative manifesto is reportedly ready to go) I had hoped to hear from clear plans for our sector and the what the Conservatives want the PRS of the future to look like.
It would appear there are, as yet, no clear plans. But there were some very interesting signals from the party as to its direction of travel.
At a fringe event on housing, the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Katie Lam MP, (pictured with me, right) was outspoken in her criticism of the Renters’ Rights Act.
When it was pointed out to her that the new laws had been initiated by the last Conservative Government she said – “it doesn’t matter who started it, if regulation doesn’t work it has to go.” While this was quickly interpreted by commentators as a bid to repeal the act, the Conservatives press office were quick to clarify that Ms Lam “had been speaking in the broader context of the restrictions and challenges faced by landlords, and this was not a policy announcement.”
Mounting concerns
Our parliamentary officer, Josh Helm-Cowley, who joined me at the conference took the opportunity to question the shadow housing secretary at another fringe event.
She had gone into detail on some the issues with the Renters’ Rights Act, particularly on grounds for possession. Josh was quick point out that, while it is a major concern, landlords also face issues beyond the Act, including upcoming minimum energy efficiency standards, the loss of Section 24 mortgage interest relief and tax changes, to name but a few.
When I caught up with Katie Lam in person, I also raised the issue of the Act and it’s shortcomings and she was clear that bad regulation must be fixed.
We know all to well that the many aspects of the Act need reforming, and we will continue to make that case to all political parties. But simply repealing the Renters’ Rights Act is not a silver bullet – a comprehensive new set of rules and regulations would still be needed.
Tax cuts and growth
I was in the main hall to hear Katie Lam’s speech to the party faithful, in which she focused on local government policy – important for her in a room full of elected, or recently voted-out Conservative councillors. More exciting perhaps was the appearance of Jeremy Clarkson talking about the challenges of modern farming.
The Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith used his speech to emphasise the Conservatives ambitions for growth, to be delivered through tax cuts and deregulation.
This was very much the theme of the conference – billed as a return to the principles of Conservatism.
It’s clear from the conversations on the conference fringe that lots of Conservatives are unhappy with the Renters’ Rights Act and other regulations imposed on landlords.
We will have to wait and see how those frustrations become workable policies, and to seek to influence that process with the Conservatives and other parties across the political spectrum.
