Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s housing policy positions have come under renewed scrutiny following reports that he purchased a London rental property with assistance from the parliamentary expenses system.
According to The Sun, Burnham acquired a two-bedroom former council flat in Kennington for £215,000 in 2005 while serving as Labour MP for Leigh. Under rules then in place, MPs were permitted to claim mortgage interest payments on second homes through parliamentary expenses.
Post-scandal arrangements
Following the 2009 parliamentary expenses scandal, which led to reforms prohibiting mortgage interest claims on second homes, Burnham retained ownership of the property. He subsequently rented it out privately whilst claiming approximately £17,000 annually in parliamentary expenses to rent a different London flat closer to Westminster.
The arrangement drew criticism in 2012 during Burnham’s tenure as Shadow Health Secretary and resurfaced during his 2015 Labour leadership campaign. The property is currently estimated to be valued at around £480,000, representing more than double its original purchase price.
Housing policy stance
In a recent interview with Voicescape’s Gary Haynes, Burnham argued that Britain’s housing crisis would persist unless homes ceased being treated “as a commodity to be bought and sold.” He advocated for increased market intervention, reduced rents, expanded social housing provision, and suspension of Right to Buy, which he claims has depleted social housing stock.
These policy positions contrast with his personal property arrangements, a tension that has drawn attention amid ongoing changes in the private rental sector and debates over property taxation and housing policy.
Addressing the situation in 2012, Burnham stated that changes to parliamentary expenses rules meant he “could no longer afford” to occupy the property himself. “I don’t want to sell it, so have had to rent it out,” he said at the time.
The disclosure highlights the ongoing tension between politicians’ housing policy positions and their personal property portfolios, a subject that continues to generate debate within the UK property sector.
