Cameron: Govt’s stamp duty leak was ‘reckless’

Opposition leader David Cameron is accusing Labour ministers of exacerbating problems in the housing market, slamming the government for its ‘completely reckless’ briefing of plans which could defer stamp duty.

Peter Bolton-King, National Association of Estate Agents chief executive, was in a meeting with Cameron yesterday, before reiterating his call to Darling to end the ‘damaging uncertainty’ caused by the leaks.

Cameron said that last week’s stamp duty leak, widely assumed in Whitehall to have originated from Downing Street, reflected a government seemingly intent on making the crisis in the housing market even worse, the Financial Times reports.

Cameron admitted there was no ‘magic wand’ politicians could wave to solve economic problems such as negative equity and rising inflation. But he rebuffed criticism of the Conservative pledge on housing, that axing stamp duty for first-time buyers on properties up to £250,000, risked tempting people irresponsibly into a falling market.

Further reading:

Treasury anger at Darling’s silence on stamp duty

Read the Financial Times story