Tory MPs abstain in flammable cladding vote

Conservative MPs speak out during debate but fail to vote against government

A tube train passes the burned-out shell of Grenfell Tower block in west London on May 25, 2018. (AFP via Getty Images)

Conservative MPs have abstained in a parliamentary vote calling on the government to take action to remove flammable cladding from buildings more quickly.

Labour, which tabled the motion, says up to 11 million people may still be living in homes with unsafe cladding similar to that blamed for the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire had urged Tories to support the opposition motion, in a bid to draw the issue to the attention of the government.

"This is bigger than party politics – this is about people’s lives, and feeling safe in their own home, and protecting them from going bankrupt," she said.  

Some Conservative MPs spoke out about the issue during the parliamentary debate ahead of the vote, but most declined to vote against when it came to the division.

The motion, which passed by 263 votes to zero, called for new measures to resolve the situation, including an independent taskforce to get the cladding removed.

Conservative Stephen McPartland, who represents Stevenage, said the government had been "incompetent" in its handling of the cladding crisis in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

But he also attacked Labour for bringing the vote, which is non-binding and can be ignored by the government.

"I also believe that the Government has been incompetent, the department, throughout this saga," he told MPs.

"They've created a whole host of these problems especially with the consolidated advice note they published in January 2020.

"That effectively made sure that buildings which were over six storeys, over 18 metres, were involved in this crisis. But the consolidated advice note then made sure that any building of any height, so that took it from around 1,700 buildings to well over 100,000 buildings.

"On top of that, cladding on buildings under 18 metres right now can still be built with combustible cladding."

One plan reportedly under consideration by the government is providing long-term loans to companies that own buildings, with the costs repaid through service charges. Campaigners have branded the idea a "cladding tax".

Mr McPartland added: "I will not accept loans to leaseholders. If the Government announces that, I will not accept it, I will vote against it. We cannot have leaseholders pay mortgages of £150,000 which is 90 per cent and then maybe having to pay a loan on top of £75,000."

Another Tory MP, Royston Smith, said: "Regardless of what happens today, this Government has an opportunity to sort this out once and for all.

"This Government can give leaseholders the certainty and security which they deserve and let the unwitting victims of this crisis once again sleep soundly in their beds at night."

Peter Bottomley, a former Conservative minister, said those responsible for the cladding "chaos" should "have to pay", while fellow Tory Bob Blackman commented: "It is fundamental that leaseholders should not have to pay a penny piece towards the cost of remediating the unsafe cladding that is there."

The government has a strategy of always ordering its MPs to abstain on opposition day motions brought by Labour, whatever the issue.

194 Labour MPs vote for the motion, 11 Lib Dems and 47 from the Scottish National Party. No Conservatives backed it. Plaid Cymru, the Greens, SDLP, Alliance, and four independents including Jeremy Corbyn voted in favour.

Boris Johnson said last week that the government would "very shortly" announce a plan on cladding. The issue is ultimately the responsibility of scandal-hit Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.

Mr Jenrick did not appear to respond to the debate, instead sending junior communities minister Eddie Hughes in his place.

"For my part, it's 410 days since I've been called in this chamber to contribute to a debate," the minister began.

"I never would have thought at that time that the next time I got called I'd be speaking from the dispatch box and responding to a debate on behalf of the government! My parents would have been very proud."

He added: "There have been some comments on social media about the fact that I've only been a minister for 15 days and therefore perhaps I don't deserve to respond to this debate."

But he said building safety had been "incredibly important" to him, noting that he had campaigned on such issues before.

"I couldn't agree more with the frustrations that have been expressed by members on both sides of the house," Mr Hughes said.

The minister said there was "consensus across the house" that it would be "completely unacceptable" for "unaffordable costs" to be imposed on leaseholders.

"We are working at pace to develop a financial solution to protect leaseholders from unaffordable costs," he said.

Following the vote, shadow housing secretary Ms Debbonaire, said: “It is an insult to homeowners that the Conservative Government did not vote to protect them. Home ownership can be a dream come true, but for 11 million people in unsafe, unsellable flats, there is no end in sight to this nightmare.

“The Government must urgently establish the extent of this crisis, protect leaseholders from ruinous costs and make sure those responsible pay to make homes safe.”