The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced that a General Election will be held on Thursday 4th July 2024. Parliament will be dissolved next Thursday, May 30th.

For the residential property industry this timing may be something of a relief.

The calling of a General Election tends to stall the housing market as people pause to consider what might happen as a result. Quite what they might be expecting to happen that will immediately affect their home moving plans is seldom clear.

All the main parties offer manifestos that major on issues such as taxation, the economy, health and social welfare. Some give housing a headline or two. The outcome of any General Election – especially one that the Tories are expected, but are by no means certain, to lose – affects all our lives.

Uncertainty and fear of change can lead to delayed decision-making by home buyers and sellers, so having only a relatively short campaigning period does mean that we won’t be hanging on for months before the uncertainty is removed.

All legislation in progress will fall when Parliament is dissolved but in the days beforehand some bills may be pushed through with the agreement of the Opposition. The Renters Reform Bill may or may not be lost as a result.

WHAT IS YOUR VOTING INTENTION?

The BBC today published data showing the public voting intentions for the main parties as recorded, on average, by polling companies at 20th May had Labour on 44%, Conservatives on 23%, Reform 11%, Lib Dems 10% and Greens 7%.

As for whether there really will be a change in who is leading the country after 4th July – we’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, where do your voting intentions currently lie?