Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething said he will “begin the process of stepping down as leader of the Welsh Labour Party and, as a result, First Minister”.Propertymark have responded by saying his appointment had ‘delayed the government’s proposed white paper on fair rents in Wales’.
The resignation comes after four Welsh government ministers – Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles – resigned from the Welsh Government, saying Gething ‘must leave office’.
Commenting on Vaughan Gething resigning as Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister, Tim Thomas, Policy and Campaigns Officer at Propertymark, said:
“The housing sector in Wales faces key challenges and property agents need to see stable leadership to help meet these head on and implement planned reforms.
“The process for appointing Vaughan Gething as First Minister in March has already delayed the Welsh Government’s proposed white paper on fair rents and adequate housing from the summer to the autumn. This instability should not be allowed to continue – Welsh Labour must appoint a new leader quickly to guarantee consistency and give confidence to property professionals, renters, landlords and home buyers and sellers.
“Ultimately, the new First Minister should use their appointment as a fresh opportunity to stop any chance of rent control measures becoming a reality, review all costs and taxes impacting private landlords to tackle the supply and demand crunch in the private rented sector, continue to engage with property professionals to improve building safety across Wales and extend Help to Buy to the second-hand housing market in order to boost home ownership.”
