Petition calling on Labour to scrap Stamp Duty launched by Conservative party
The Conservative party have launched a petition calling on Labour to abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax. The policy was a surprise inclusion in party leader Kemi Badenoch’s speech at the party conference in October 2025 and is now a major policy objective outlined in their policy renewal programme. At the time Badenoch said the housing […]
IHT “arbitrary, distortionary and expensive to administer” and should be scrapped say Institute of Economic Affairs
Inheritance tax is “arbitrary, distortionary and expensive to administer” and should be scrapped says a recently published paper from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) because of the heavy burden it places on families alongside a discouragement of savings and investments. A Taxing Inheritance outlines how the UK’s IHT regime places it fifth highest for […]
Law Society president and MHCLG to speak at Bold Legal Conference
Law Society of England and Wales president Mark Evans will speak at this Summer’s Bold Legal Conference and Soirée. Organisers have confirmed the first tranche of speakers for the annual conference, which will be hosted on Wednesday 17th June 2026 at Regent’s University London. Twelve months ago, Evans took part in a Q&A with Bold […]
SLC and BLG remain ‘extremely concerned’ at HMRC tax adviser requirement for conveyancers
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) and the Bold Legal Group (BLG) say they remain extremely concerned about the lack of clear guidance from HMRC available to conveyancers regarding the requirement to register as tax advisers, despite repeated requests for clarification. In a joint statement, the organisations said they are receiving a high volume of […]
AI is blurring boundaries on legal advice, new LSB chief exec warns
Richard Orpin, the new chief executive of the Legal Services Board, has hailed legal services as a “huge economic success story,” but warned that “AI is blurring the boundaries between regulated and unregulated legal advice.” Speaking at LegalEx London, Orpin (pictured) highlighted that the revenue generated by legal activities in the UK grew from £41.4 […]
Second charge borrowers ‘at increased risk of financial harm’, warns FCA
A Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review has found that weaknesses in some firms’ practices in the second charge mortgage market could put “borrowers, particularly those consolidating debt, at increased risk of financial harm”. Lenders and brokers have been warned that they need to raise consumer standards and consider how they advise customers, assess affordability and […]
Sort Ball returns in October, tickets on sale next week
Sort Group has announced the return of industry celebration event Sort Ball, which will take place on Wednesday 21st October 2026. Following the success of the inaugural Sort Ball in Manchester, this year will be held in Derby – the birthplace of Sort Group. Designed to bring together professionals from across the property and mortgage […]
March housing market remains steady despite global uncertainty, Rightmove finds
Market activity in March appears stable so far despite the new geopolitical uncertainty created by the Iran war, according to Rightmove’s latest figures. The property portal’s real-time snapshot of daily market activity on Friday revealed the number of sales being agreed is only 2% behind the strong market of this time last year, and 5% […]
The BCAs go north – British Conveyancing Awards take Manchester by storm
The British Conveyancing Awards, sponsored by Groundsure, has crowed its 2026 winners at a glitzy ceremony hosted at Manchester Cathedral on Thursday night. Big winners on the night included Rowlinsons Solicitors, AVRillo, TV Edwards Solicitors, and InfoTrack. Like the music industry’s BRIT Awards before it, 2026 marked the first year the British Conveyancing Awards has […]
Call for conveyancers to join data testing project
The Smart Property Data Trust Framework sandbox, a government-backed project laying the foundations for a “more efficient, trusted and transparent housing market”, is looking for more conveyancing firms to get involved. The initiative comes in response to what its creators describe as a property market still reliant on “document-heavy, fragmented processes”, with the aim of […]
MHCLG shares contractual control agreement guidance for conveyancers
New government transparency rules will expose secret land deals, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has said, as it publishes guidance on contractual control agreements. The guidance, which is intended for conveyancers submitting information to HM Land Registry on behalf of clients, has been issued by MHCLG to support the implementation of […]
Property Conveyancing Consultancy now CPD approved
Post-completion specialist training provider Property Conveyancing Consultancy (PCC) is now an approved CPD provider. Five of the provider’s courses are already approved, and the company says it will continue to add to its CPD-approved training. “After a lot of hard work, determination and drive to push our one narrative; that post-completion is a vital part […]
New SoF training programme for conveyancers
A new Source of Funds (SoF) training programme could help conveyancing firms navigate what its developers describe as “one of the most complex and anxiety-inducing areas of AML compliance”. Tom Lyes Consultancy and compliance specialists HiveRisk launched SoF in Focus to give conveyancing teams “practical guidance and greater confidence” when dealing with SoF enquiries in live matters. Practical sessions cover […]
Beswicks Legal flags LISA consultation as conveyancing risk
Replacing the Lifetime ISA (LISA) with a new first-time buyer savings product could have significant implications for buyers and property professionals alike warns a Legal 500 firm. Beswicks Legal says the government consultation, which includes reviewing the £450,00 property price cap, is a conveyancing risk already affecting transactions on the ground. Sophie Ellis, conveyancing and property solicitor, Beswicks […]
Rightmove reveals Britain’s most expensive streets
New data from Rightmove reveals that all but one of Britain’s most expensive streets are in London, with East Road in Elmbridge, Surrey the only street outside the capital to make the top 20. Properties on Winnington Road in Barnet, which borders Hampstead Heath (pictured), have an average price tag of £12,538,095, retaining the street’s […]
Don’t rely on AI to identify invasive plants, knotweed specialist warns
Homeowners and property buyers are being warned not to rely on artificial intelligence tools to identify Japanese knotweed, as new analysis reveals that a popular AI tool failed to correctly identify the invasive plant in 7% of cases. In a test carried out by Environet, 100 images of Japanese knotweed taken at different times of […]
Buyer demand dips amid interest rate pessimism, RICS finds
Buyer demand has dipped amid renewed concerns over the interest rate outlook, according to the latest residential market survey from RICS. The UK Residential Market Survey from the chartered surveyor body shows a housing market still struggling for momentum, with renewed geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on buyer sentiment and near-term expectations. While some surveyors […]
Plan-making regulations signed into law
Matthew Pennycook, the minister of state for housing and planning (pictured), has signed into law the regulations to commence the new plan-making system provided for by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. A package of five statutory instruments was laid in parliament this week, including the new Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, which come into […]
Government launches digital ID consultation
The Government is seeking views on how digital ID could be used to make public services quicker, easier and more secure to access. Launching a national public consultation, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, said the government needs to catch up with services offered by the private sector, such as online banking. […]
‘Impossible for LSB to meet objectives’, Legal Services Consumer Panel warns
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has shared its critical response to the Ministry of Justice’s review of the Legal Services Board, claiming its “fragmented and outdated regulatory design” make it impossible to meet its statutory objectives. The Panel – an independent arm of the Legal Services Board – says the LSB is constrained by the […]