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Labour electioneering 'could alienate private landlords'
Wed 03 Feb 2010
The government has been warned that it is risking alienating private landlords in the run-up to the general election.
According to the British Property Federation (BPF) the government needs to avoid using "showboating policies" before voters go to the polls.
This, it said, is because they could overshadow the need to invest in the sector, which it described as "desperate".
The BPF was speaking in response to a new consultation document on the private rented sector, which acknowledged that further investment is required if housing need is to be met.
Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the BPF, welcomed this recognition and said it is "reassuring" to see "at least some support for this important sector".
Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, added that the government has provided "significant support" for the housing sector throughout the downturn.
Indeed, she stated that government funds have contributed to about half of all new builds in the last 12 months.