Community members listen attentively from the gallery during a formal courtroom proceeding.
If the late Ken Dodd was to be tried again today on the same evidence for alleged tax evasion, I am convinced that a modern jury would not have hesitated to convict him. Because today’s jury is more savvy. Less likely to be bamboozled by someone’s celebrity. We saw that in the conviction of cuddly children’s entertainer Rolf Harris a few years back. And he was not alone. It’s why I am always impressed by the collective wisdom of today’s juries: the men and women which the Starmer government wanted to abolish for mid-range offences. I’m so glad that Burnham has seen sense.
Because the real damage from a criminal conviction is not the slap on the wrist from a judge or magistrate. It is the long-term reputational damage. The ruination of a future career. So wouldn’t you want your case to be tried by men and women who could see life through your eyes? Instead of a state appointee?
A three-panel collage presents prominent British politicians speaking at public events.
With so much rubbish on the freeview channels, I have taken to watching the recent party conferences. I’d much rather be entertained by a great speaker than bore myself watching celebrity game shows. And aren’t there too many of those? Where gameshows and Eastenders’ become the ‘news’. Even though it’s all pretend. Talk about dumbing down! I’ve shown Farage; Polanski and Burnham in the picture because they are the political leaders I most enjoy watching. I don’t have to agree with them to like hearing them speak.
When it comes to presentation, party politics, for me, has never been better. A move away from the complacency of the past. New ideas. New faces. Though for me, some of Andy Burnham’s shine is beginning to wear off. It’s one thing to talk about growth in the economy. But he doesn’t seem to be doing anything to make it happen. Instead there is hesitancy even over the Heathrow Airport expansion, not to mention the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gasfields. all of which are supported by the main unions, including the TUC, because of the jobs they will create. When I attended a recent Back Heathrow Airport Event at Hounslow’s Gymkhana Club. I was impressed by the turnout from the Unite and GMB unions. Andy – please listen to them – instead of wittering about Britain rejoining the EU. Kemi Badenoch is for me still the unknown quantity and I look forward to seeing her speak at the forthcoming Conservative party conference. But her promise has for me being marred by her recent support for Joshua Bonehill-Paine becoming a Conservative councillor. Why? What was that all about? Bonehill-Paine might be a reformed character but none of us can erase our past. The damage has been done. But I’ll listen to what Kemi has to say. I hope that she can come up with some real ideas. Gimmicks like abolishing inheritance tax just don’t cut it for me. And wasn’t her predecessor, David Cameron, all about gimmicks? Like ‘localism’. And as leader of the opposition, she has to do more than just ‘oppose’. And as for Ed Davey? Well? What can I say? Falling out of boats is never going to win my vote. I need to know what he stands for. So what is it that makes the three-party leaders shown in the picture so engaging? And what can we learn from them? Here are some suggestions:
Be genuinely passionate about your subject. If you are passionate, you don’t have to worry about what you are going to say. The words will just come. A passionate speaker sells emotion.
Have you noticed that none of these speakers ever use notes.? Burnham doesn’t even stand behing a rostrum. Glancing at notes means that you break eye contact with your audience. And it is the eye contact which creates the power in a good speech.
Structure your speech. Not just a beginning, middle and an end. Remember the salesmans’ acronym AIDA. Say something to get the audience attention. Summarize the theme. Back it up with facts and argument. And finally the call to action.
Don’t ramble. You are not a lay preacher. Know what you want to say. Say it. Summarise it. Sit down. Learn to read your audience. When you see them fidgeting. Whispering to each other. Looking up their phones. Have the courtesy to shut up. Don’t wait for people to start walking out.
Be heard. You don’t need to tap a microphone if you can throw your voice to the end of the room.
Actively look for opportunities to speak. Maybe through your work or special interests. Or join a speakers club.
Buy a copy of Dale Carnegie’s ‘The quick and easy guide to Effective Speaking’ [my call to action]
Following on from my 20th June 2026 post, ‘A Quick Fix to Britain’s Housing Crisis’, The House of Lords has now published its own 14th September 2026 briefing note on the subject ‘ Empty Homes in England and Wales’, prompted by a question from Lord John Bird (Crossbench), asking what assessment the government has made of the potential for a National Empty Homes Strategy to help end homelessness. You will remember John Bird as the founder of the Big Issue, which has probably done more to tackle rough sleeping than anyone else.
The Briefing Note refers to the 1.5 million unoccupied homes in the UK, many of which need major renovation to become habitable and with some being deliberately left empty in the hope that they can increase in value over time. This latter category has been termed a ‘buy to leave investment’. There are other properties whose owners have died and with no obvious beneficiary. The Local Government Association and the Empty Homes Network have stated:
” Every empty home removes a property from the housing market and with it the chance of those on the housing registers to be housed, first time buyers to purchase, or those looking to progress on the property ladder.”
The Briefing {aper also responds to industry stakeholder calls for an empty homes strategy to bring these properties back into use. They argue that unaffordable rents, rising homelessness, record levels of temporary accommodation use and long waits for social housing meant that each empty home represented a missed opportunity to provide settled housing, revitalise communities and make efficient use of existing stock, It is also one of the quickest, greenest and most cost effective ways to increase housing supply. It is argued that an empty homes strategy should include:
A fully funded local authority duty to investigate and act on long-term empty homes complaints
National initiatives, such as a loan scheme, a national acquisition fund and an enforcement fund
Replacing the new homes bonus scheme with rewards for successful empty homes interventions
Ring fencing council tax premium revenue for local housing initiatives
Developing empty homes specific enforcement powers
Reducing stamp duty for purchases where properties are used to meet local demand for social housing and who provide homes for those on a pathway out of temporary accommodation.
Currently local authorities can access funding through the Affordable Homes Program 2021 to 2026 and the Local Authority Housing Fund.
Back in 2018, under the last government, I wrote my own book on the subject titled Housing Regeneration: a plan for implementation, which was published through Routlege. One reviewer said:
“This provides a brief overview of housing and development considerations affecting local authorities from a legal perspective. It’s probably too short to answer all questions that a lawyer may be researching on the matter. Even so, it offers a helping hand navigating some complex issues and in some instances much more than that. I had hoped for material on overarching development agreements which didn’t seem to make an appearance. The chapter on local authority companies was particularly useful. By the standards of law books, this is very cheap, so for the price, 4 out of 5 stars is more than justified.”
Britain’s quarter million shared ownership leaseholders may be feeling that that little bit more secure with the coming into force of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on 1st May 2026. The same with apply to any other leaseholder whose annual ground rent had escalated to more than £1,000 in Greater London or £250 elsewhere. Before the changes took effect, any of those leaseholders could have been thrown out of their properties if they fell behind in their rent by as little as 2 months. This was because annual ground rents above the £250 [£1,000] threshold were technically classed as assured tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, which meant that a ground landlord could end the tenancy on grounds of rent arrears by serving notice under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 instead of going through a long-winded forfeiture process.Shared ownership leases which had not staircased to 100% were always caught within this trap because the rental element would always exceed the assured tenancy thresholds.
The change does not mean that shared ownership leaseholders or for that matter any other leaseholder cannot be evicted for rent arrears. It just means that the ground landlord has to go through the full forfeiture process which applies to all residential leases and which will always give a tenant relief against forfeiture if they can make up the rental shortfall and reimburse associated legal fees. What the Renters’ Rights Act did was to take any fixed term residential lease for more than 7 years outside the assured tenancy regime.
Shared ownership means that the residential leaseholder does not own their property outright until they have staircased to 100% but instead owns only their share in the property and pays a social rent on the remainder. The purpose of shared ownership is to enable anyone who cannot afford to buy outright, a means of getting on the housing ladder.
Christmas has come. Shorthold tenants are now sitting tenants. You can live there as long as you want to. Just as long as you pay your rent and are neighbourly. Except if your landlord had already served the section 21 notice on you before the end of April 2026. Then it’s just about waiting to see if possession proceedings are issued before the 1st August 2026 cut off. If those possessions proceedings have been issued, it may then take a couple of weeks before you even find out about it. Because a congested civil court system is going to become even more stretched with thousands of landlords issuing their section 21 claims before the statutory cut off. Then there’s the bailiff’s appointment to carry out the actual eviction – which potentially could take much longer. Because bailiffs are going to be very busy.
Being a sitting tenant does not mean that your continued occupation is guaranteed. Because even under the new rules, a landlord can still initiate an eviction process if they can prove a genuine intention to sell the property with vacant possession. But that’s going to be a long-winded process.
For those landlords who are staying in the market, get a reputable letting agent. Someone who is up to speed with the changes. Even if you have to pay a little bit more for that quality of service They will be the people on whom you will be relying to protect your interests. Between now and the end of May 2026, there is work which they need to attend to, to protect you from big financial penalties.
It’s also going to be a busy time for your local council. Especially their homeless team. Everyone who has received a section 21 eviction notice before the 30th April 2026 cut off is going to need somewhere else to live. But only those former tenants with a ‘priority need’ (for example those with children or a serious health condition) can be guaranteed somewhere to live, even if it’s only bed and breakfast. So there’s going to be lots of business for hoteliers.
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